Dark Stranger
by paynesgrey
Summary: Felicity must make peace with Oliver's choice, even if it means turning her attention to a charming and mysterious stranger. Her attentions to someone else, however, do not go unnoticed. In-progress. Oliver x Felicity, Slade x Felicity.
1. One

AN: I don't know how long this is going to be, a couple of chapters? I just know it won't leave me alone and I need to do something while I wait for a new Arrow episode. Takes place after "Heir to the Demon".

* * *

Dark Stranger

One

He turned the page of his newspaper and quickly admired the dark charcoal gray satin of his suit. He strained slightly to see the fine fabric, appreciating the vision he had left in the one eye. He glanced around the room of his surroundings, and his gaze settled on a petite young blonde leaving the line of the Starbucks where he was sitting.

Her back was facing him, and he admired the muscles in her calves and the slopes and curves of her taut behind, barely covered by the material that hugged and shaped her.

She was leaving, and as he watched her, her blond ponytail lightly swished behind her head. Her face spoke many emotions: pain, anxiety, and a sense of defiance at the cards dealt her that day. Whatever had happened, she was trying to subdue her feelings to a dull, bored expression on her face. She was failing miserably, in his opinion.

She weaved through the crowds, and he smiled, knowing exactly who she was and _who_ was on her mind. He knew he'd see her again.

* * *

Felicity was okay with it. Sure. It seemed a little forced. Maybe a little messy, but it was obvious… Sara and Oliver had hooked up. Even after she'd confided in him, and even when he'd said she'd never lose him… he'd fallen back to a familiar trope.

Oliver had issues with his past. Felicity knew this. Well, more like he was chained to his past in a prison of his own making.

So...this thing with Sara? How could she ever be surprised?

Oliver was her friend, and she knew that he'd never be anything beyond that. Hadn't she made her peace with that long ago?

She caught herself sighing, and her frown turned up slightly into a small smile. She'd developed new software that had cross-referenced modules of all secure sectors within a network, piggy-backing through backends and cloud servers, and depositing backup cloned intel into several different shadow servers.

If Team Arrow's base were ever to be compromised, she'd definitely had fool-proof and ready backups with instant wireless access. In the meantime, she was running highly defined SEO searches and tapping through channels that would make the NSA jealous. If Oliver was impressed at her prison hacking skills, wait until he saw the swag she acquired from this.

Feeling a sense of pride on her current work, she mentally ran through her to-do list to see if she was missing anything. Catching up with her back up to-do list on her phone, no stone was left unturned. Felicity would have to wait for the next shit storm to hit them, knowing she'd be readily prepared for anything.

The only thing she wasn't sure she was prepared for was Oliver reading her like a book, knowing his thing with Sara bothered her.

That was why she had to do her very best to make it seem like it didn't.

_I shouldn't feel any different than when he was with Laurel,_ she thought, and it made her feel queasy. She admitted that she couldn't even stop the sarcastic remarks and the cold eye daggers when he'd been with Laurel.

And she kept asking herself, why should she care? Maybe her boss battle with Moira Queen opened up a few wounds she wasn't ready to tend to yet.

Feeling bored, she surveyed the progress of her running programs and felt satisfied she could leave them and go home. There was a full season of Supernatural on her Netflix to catch up with, Diggle was home with Lyla, and Oliver was out with Sara, getting cozy and musing about old Island times and looking for pedos and bad guys to beat on. _Sounded like quite a date night,_ she thought. She had to give Sara a pass on that. At least the dates were cool.

She couldn't speak for the unhealthy amount of baggage and angst that remained between them though. Better not touch that with a ten-foot pole.

Hunger was nagging her, so she decided to leave her computers to do her work and grab a bite at that panini place by her apartment.

Felicity left the lair, and hopped into her car. She rolled the window down while Jefferson Airplane filtered through the radio and into her car. She hummed along with White Rabbit, and almost lost track of time as routine took over and she was parking into her designated spot in her building's apartment garage. Locking up, she hefted her bag over her shoulder and started walking down her street. Not more than a block away, she took in the scents at the Corner Bakery and bypassed looking at the menu.

She shifted her bag on her shoulder, and when she heard a glass crash to the floor behind her, she jumped in alert, bumping into someone who had been close behind her, probably waiting to order. She heard a man make a noise of surprise, and she felt the blood rush to her face.

"Oops!" she announced and she spun around to immediately apologize. She had to crane her neck to look up, and when she looked into the stranger's face, the words almost fell out of her mouth in gibberish.

She did manage to say sorry before the man interrupted her. Felicity tried to remind herself to not stare at him, but he was imposing that intimidation seemed to roll off him in waves. She almost wanted to curl into herself, but she couldn't help being instantly attracted to the man. It prompted her to think that maybe she had a problem...the bad boy streak never seemed to do her any good.

"I do apologize, love," he said, and his accent was silky thick and definitely Australian. Even more dangerous and sexy. His skin was a golden color, and his dark wavy hair looked scarred by a gray windstorm. _Heel, Felicity, heel. _

"Oh, no, my fault! Sorry, I was just so famished. Are you hurt?" She babbled. "Of course, not. Why would you be hurt? You're so…" Her words trailed off.

The man's one eyebrow raised slightly. Not the one covered by the eyepatch, which really added to the imposing aspect - considerably.

"So…?" She could sense the humor in his voice. It caused her to smile, and relax a little.

"So… obviously not susceptible to injury by someone bumping into you," she ended with a relieved sigh.

When he chuckled lightly, she had to stop herself from mooning over him - and falling over in a faint from her wobbly knees.

To be continued...


	2. Two

Dark Stranger

Two

The flutter in her stomach slightly subsided as Felicity accepted his offer to share a table at the Corner Bakery. He seemed pleased that she would keep him company, and she felt his eyes on her, almost grateful to no longer be alone as she set her plate in front of her.

"Name's Will Shade, nice to meet you Ms. Smoak," he said, and when he offered his hand she took it awkwardly. After a firm shake, the flutter in her stomach returned again.

"Felicity will do just fine," she said with a shy smile. "So you're here on business?"

"That's right. Just got in last night. I'm camping out for a week of mandatory training on this SAP system for my company," he said with a groan, and her smile stretched. "Bloody computers. Not really my thing." 

Felicity couldn't hold back the chuckle. "That's funny. Computers seem to be my specialty." She met his intrigued gaze.

"Really? That's just my luck then," he said impressed. She watched him take a bite of his food. "There may be a chance I won't have a clue what I'm doing. I wonder if I can count on you to help me out."

"I get that alot. Does your computer have that ugly blue screen? Call Felicity Smoak. Need to hack into an ex wife's email for evidence; I'm your girl," she said teasingly, but she saw the humor flash out of his expression for a moment at a mention of a "wife". She knew she'd said something that struck a chord.

"Uh oh… did I say something wrong?"

"No… no, not at all," he said, but his demeanor seemed to get darker the more he tried to assure her. Truthfully, she found it attractive. As she studied his face during their exchange, he seemed to become much more mysterious. It was enticing, this handsome dark man showing an interest in her. She watched him closely, not just seeing a handsome man, but a treasure trove of secrets she wanted to unlock.

It was a bad habit of hers to be sure. She couldn't help it.

Maybe Will Shade was a distraction? An intriguing yet gorgeous conundrum to pull her away from the ache and hurt she was feeling from Oliver's attentions to Sara.

"Look, it's fine. It's a terrible flaw of mine to just blurt things out without thinking them through, and it's especially worse when I'm nervous - _extremely _nervous."

He nodded, but his one eye stared at her so intensely she felt like he was charging a bomb inside her with his mind.

"Why would you be nervous?" he asked simply. His tone, his accent, and his words slid over her like hot oil.

She laughed nervously, wondering if she'd ever grow out of this stage of uncomfortableness around him. She didn't want to scare him off. She didn't want to upset him or annoy him where she was just another waste of fifteen minutes of his business trip.

"I...have a lack of proper social skills...maybe?"

"Look, I understand, Felicity," he said, and the way he said her name felt duplicitous, either like old classical music fused with another side of burgeoning suspense. It was a little frightening, but her curiosity of him only fueled her to discover more.

"You're a loner. I am too. It's hard dealing with people. Computers are probably more comfortable for you," he said.

She sighed. "You have a point there."

"Well, I find my sanctuary in fitness, yoga and believe it or not, meditation," he said.

She cocked her head. "Oh really?" It was another interesting development in the biography of this mysterious guy. She leaned forward. She almost had forgotten about her dinner, and took a moment to at least eat a small bite of her panini.

"I've been all over the world, Felicity. I've seen a lot of things. Every genre you can think of: tragedy, drama, romance...grief… I've seen it all," he admitted, and she was curious to why it was so easy for him to open up to her. Was he really that interested in her?

If he truly was, she had doubts. Most of the time Felicity Smoak was overlooked. Most of the time people were asking who she was and what she was even doing there. She was more like the background furniture in a play than a starring role.

How could this man be interested in her at all so quickly? There was more to it. There was more to _him._

Felicity wasn't looking at the time, but in the back of her mind she really didn't want this dinner to end. She wanted to immerse herself in the life story of this man. It was more interesting than pining for Oliver, knowing he'd never her see her the way she saw him.

And it was a delicious distraction - if she could put Oliver out of her mind, just a little, maybe she could even face Sara again - and all Sara's pitying and knowing looks.

When her phone beeped, she groaned. Will's voice trailed off from the interruption, and she reluctantly looked at her message.

It was a text from Oliver. "Where are you? Need you now."

She almost had to laugh. She sighed instead. "Looks like my boss can't figure out his WIFI again. I swear, all that power and he's completely clueless." Will nodded at her. "I gotta go. I'm sorry for taking off…"

She stared at him, and for a moment neither of them said anything. Felicity could feel him studying her, trying to read what was going on with her as much as she had tried reading him.

"I guess we'll have to meet up again…" He smiled and rose from his seat. "Gonna be here at the same time tomorrow?"

She tilted her head and considered. "I could be." She watched him smile hopefully. She swore she felt her toes tingle.

"Alright, I could see you then, Felicity," he said, and she felt almost immobile in his stare. She backed up, waved lightly and quickly, and took off in a dash through the Corner Bakery door and back to her apartment parking lot.

She sped back to the lair and anxiety and worry filled her bones. She knew this was part of the life she chose, and she would do anything for Oliver.

But Felicity couldn't help be a little disappointed that whatever this emergency was, it was taking her away from something - and even someone, she didn't want to leave.

The moment she headed toward her computer station, Oliver was charging toward her, already geared up and ready for battle. Sara hovered in the background, sticking random knives in hidden places in her Canary costume. Felicity spied one that she'd hid in her wig, and even she thought that was kind of cool.

"I thought you were here already; everything alright?" he asked.

She furrowed her brow. "I went out for a panini."

Despite her answer, Oliver still looked tense. He looked her over, and Felicity felt almost annoyed at the way he was searching out her expression. Was he looking for regret? Sadness? Was he looking for anything bothering her that might make him feel miserable for choosing Sara?

"What's the status?" Felicity called out to Digg, who came around and briefed her as Sara and Oliver offered their points.

"More sightings of super-powered goons tearing up the Glades. This time they are raiding painkiller shipments, among other things: technology components, and even chemicals used in laboratories. This is huge stuff," Digg said.

"They're stocking up for something big," Oliver said, and Felicity settled on in her chair and let her fingers dance over the keyboards.

"Okay, I've picked up their whereabouts from a couple of hacked surveillance feeds. Looks like they've taken over a few abandoned manufacturing buildings north of the Glades near the stockyards."

"Alright, Digg, Sara, let's move," Oliver said, and he met Felicity's eyes with a concerned glance before heading out with Diggle at his heels. Sara saw the exchange, brief as it was, and approached Felicity suddenly before taking off herself.

"Did something happen to you?" she asked.

"Why?"

"You seem...I don't know, anxious for something...something other than this," Sara said.

"You can tell all that?" When Sara nodded Felicity sighed. "I met someone tonight."

Sara froze for a second, but Felicity could see the instant emotion cross over the other woman's face.

Relief.

To be continued…


	3. Three

AN: Thanks for all the reviews and follows. It means a lot.

* * *

**Dark Stranger**

Three

Felicity concentrated on patching up Sara's wounds after they had come back beaten and defeated from the altercation at the stockyards that night. She was glad that there was very little tension between them, even though Sara was still giving her the "looks" wonder and guilt. Felicity just brushed it off, and now it seemed like Sara was keen on learning more about the stranger that Felicity had met before the big battle that night.

She really didn't want to tell her anything. It wasn't any of Sara's business, and though Felicity felt like she wanted to be far away from the woman (for obvious reasons) she at least respected her and couldn't hold anything against her. Sara had treated her with nothing but kindness, and she was never harsh or short with her.

Sara seemed to understand how important Felicity was to Oliver and vice versa, and yet she didn't try to analyze or sabotage it.

Maybe Sara could even be considered a friend. It was weird. Felicity didn't have "girlfriends" and certainly not the new (or old?) girlfriend of the guy she was obviously in love with. Well, according to Moira Queen it was obvious.

"Listen, Sara, about what I told you earlier…" Felicity started. Might as well get it out in the open. She could tell it was the question that was just on the tip of Sara's tongue as she watched her tending her wounds.

Sara tried to sound unconcerned, but it wasn't really working. The woman really was curious. "About that someone you met."

"Yeah...can you do me a favor?" Felicity asked, and Sara turned to her, meeting Felicity's eyes. Felicity bit her lip, and her voice fell low to a whisper. "Can you not...tell Oliver about it?"

"Why?" Sara asked quickly.

Felicity sighed audibly. "Because...the last time there was a "someone" he got really scary, and I've been thinking… I don't really have a life outside…" Felicity waved her arm around the lair. "This and you guys, and I really don't want this getting mixed with the other."

Sara nodded, looking down at her patched up wounds. "Look, I get it. You want some kind of normalcy outside this. I don't blame you. I don't even know how you do it now."

"You mean because I have no combat skills and am pretty much helpless?" Felicity said in a tone of self defeat.

"No," Sara said simply. "What I mean is that you are normal and yet you chose this. You have a chance to have another life, one without danger and death. Some of us don't have that choice at all. Not anymore."

"You could quit," Felicity said, and suddenly she felt like a jerk. Was she sounding desperate? "I mean, Nyssa is gone right? You're released."

Sara laughed in disbelief. "Oh no. Don't be fooled by that. Nyssa isn't gone, and I don't really believe I'm released, Felicity. Neither should you."

"Does Oliver believe that?" Felicity asked boldly.

"No." She paused. "Which is why I'm not telling him about that someone you met. He doesn't need to be carrying on the weight of something else."

"What do you mean by that?" Felicity asked, feeling defensive.

"What I mean is, Felicity," and she looked her straight in the eyes. "That Oliver worries about everyone who's important to him. Even if you have a normal life outside of this, he'll worry. As long as you're in this with him, he'll never feel that you are safe. He'll always think you're a target for his enemies because you have sided with him."

Felicity didn't reply, and she watched Sara pull the t-shirt over her clean wounds and head toward the stairs. Felicity's gaze shifted to Oliver who was talking intently with Digg. He must have sensed her staring at him because when their eyes met she could see the weight of Sara's meaning. Oliver would always worry about her, and if he found out about her dinner with the mysterious stranger that even Felicity wasn't sure about, then he'd definitely interfere.

He'd always care enough to interfere.

* * *

Felicity headed home after wrapping things up in the lair. Her computer programs were running fine without her again, and even Oliver didn't seem to think that there was much left to do for any of them that night. Diggle was the first to leave, and Felicity could tell his thoughts were of Lyla, and he didn't want to be in Sara and Oliver's company more than he had to be. Felicity couldn't help but feel the same way.

She watched as Sara left for the night, heading toward her new-found home at Detective Lance's place. Oliver was the last to leave after Felicity said goodbye, but as she started to linger around hoping that Oliver would want to talk, she realized that his crippling silence remained steadfast. He gave her one last nod, and she could see a war of uncertainty raging in his eyes.

He wasn't going to say anything, was he? Not about Sara, and not about how she had told him Moira's secret about Thea's birth.

Getting to her apartment's parking garage, she turned to glance at the Corner Bakery, seeing that it was closed. Her mystery man was long gone of course, and she wondered if she'd ever see him again.

Instinct, however, told her that she would.

* * *

Slade Wilson wiped blood of his hands and surveyed the groaning bodies on the ground around him. He'd defeated them all in a round of rough sparring, and he didn't even know their names. They all came here looking for a huge cash prize to just take a few jabs at him, and in the end, they were pawns to keep his anger at bay, to keep control of the monster hissing and scratching inside him.

Revenge filled his blood like black poison, but it was a good motivator and every one of these nameless men wore the face of Oliver Queen in his mind's eye.

Olive was his friend, but someday Slade would be Oliver's destroyer. He could see it as clearly as his intricate plans coming to fruition.

When Brother Blood could not take care of Laurel Lance in all his sloppiness, Slade felt that it was best to get to Felicity Smoak himself. Felicity was the one woman Oliver kept close, so close that he was sure the woman was as deeply in his heart as Shado had been.

The others like his family, Laurel and Sara were important to Oliver, yes, but not as coveted as the wonderful Felicity Smoak.

She was more than an asset to Oliver, and Slade wanted nothing more to exploit all the ways the young IT blonde was important to Oliver.

He could tell she was unhappy, somewhat rejected and sidelined to Oliver's true feelings. The foolish kid was even keeping her at arm's length - probably to protect her or for some other noble reason.

But what Felicity would have to prove to Oliver is that even the most trusted, most loved and most protected ones in your life can be hurt enough to turn on you. People were always in it for themselves after all. If Slade could get Felicity to believe that she could do better, that she didn't have to wait to find happiness beyond Oliver's hesitation, then Slade could take her from him. He can pull her apart bit by bloody bit, and the sooner the woman Oliver trusts most breaks away from him and is standing by Slade's side, then the sooner his hardest work will be over.

The only thing left for Slade to do after that would be to drive one last arrow through his _friend's_ skull.

And there was nothing beyond that he wanted more.

To be continued...


	4. Four

**Dark Stranger**

Four

Criminal activity unexpectedly quieted after the last big scuffle in the Glades. Much to their dismay, super-powered goons got away with powerful technology and highly potent pharmaceuticals. It was the last battle where Oliver and Sara both had endured injuries to men fueled by the Mirakuru without much hope to defeat their plans.

After that, everything had slowed, and even Felicity was combing through dead leads trying to find any signs of the people behind the Mirakuru.

The lack of activity did not stop the bustle within the lair, however. Felicity found herself on a gathering intel and organizing frenzy, while Sara found her own pet projects of avenging women again, with the Canary targeting Starling City rapists, pedophiles and pimps. It certainly kept her sharp, Felicity mused, and mostly it kept her away from Oliver a lot. Felicity tried not to feel some solace in that, but she did anyway.

Oliver, on the other hand, took this downtime as a great incentive to start training Roy, not only to control his burgeoning powers but also the rage that came with the Mirakuru drug.

Diggle was back to helping Lyla with some of her own missions, and once again Felicity was grounded to IT duty. Not that she minded, but she admitted to being mostly bored. The danger was part of the excitement of her hacks and programs. She started to think Sara had the right idea, and Felicity busied herself with her own pet project by developing a worm that targeted embezzlers and corporate thieves and siphoned their money into the bank accounts of some unsuspecting people down on hard times.

_Just call me Robin Hood_, Felicity thought, as she monitored the progress of her programs.

Yet, the most frustrating thing about this downtime was that Oliver had still not approached her the subject of Sara, or even Thea for that matter, and Felicity wondered if they'd ever talk about it all. They were still good friends and partners, and they still had that good rapport working at Queen Consolidated and on the vigilante's nightly watches. Nothing changed there, but Felicity could feel the lacking in their closeness again, as if Oliver had curbed his emotions a little bit more, keeping her across that line that he just wouldn't cross.

She sighed, glancing over at Oliver and Roy sparring with some mixed martial arts moves. Felicity could see bruises on Oliver's chest, which didn't seem to faze him but did showcase the kind of power that Roy had gained.

Turning to her computers, she got her programs in order and told Diggle that she was calling it a night. Sara was coming down the stairs as she was just leaving, and the two exchanged silent looks. Sara was sweating, her cheek was bruised, but satisfaction glowed in her eyes. Another rapist was probably nursing some sore body parts tonight.

"Good night?" Felicity asked, and Sara nodded.

"Yep. I took down a famed serial rapist. Oh, he claimed to have turned over a new leaf, but no one can really run from the truth, can they?" she said, and Felicity wondered if her words had a double meaning.

"No I suppose they can't," Felicity said, her tone shrugging it off. "I'm going to get a bite to eat. If any one needs me, call. Otherwise, the computers are pretty much on their own and behaving themselves. What I wouldn't give for some excitement tonight, but hey, I think we both know that probably won't happen."

"It's not always a bad thing," Sara said, but the smile tugging at her serious expression made Felicity laugh.

She sighed dramatically. "You just keep telling yourself that. I'm going to get a bite to eat."

Sara's eyes flashed with understanding. "Have fun."

Felicity didn't meet her eyes, and she headed off. She kept hoping in her ascent to the upstairs that Oliver would call out to her, even stop her in her tracks to have one last private chat - a heart to heart that would clear all this awkward tension up.

When he didn't, Felicity's heart sank, feeling slightly numb.

* * *

Felicity was alone for the beginning of her dinner. Disappointment swelled in her stomach after each minute there was no sign of her mysterious stranger. When she felt a large presence and shadow overtake her table in the corner, she looked up gaping at the large man known as Will Shade, the man who had been on her mind for a couple days now.

"May I?" he asked, and Felicity realized she had missed that accent. She had missed the muscle too. It rivaled Oliver's beyond measure, and she imagined Will Shade had some scars of his own. His past was a mystery box inside a mystery box, and she wanted nothing more to crack the code that was his life. It surprised her; she had just met this man and suddenly she wanted to dig into his personal details.

He was fascinating enough, she thought, which gave her the excuse to fantasize about him. Maybe he seemed like the kind of danger she was lacking right now, or maybe she was just lonely, horny and bored, and the one man that had shown any interest in her lately was currently lying in a coma in another town.

"Of course," she said, realizing her silence may have been too long. He took a seat, and as she watched him, her brain started to revert to something primal. She had to stop herself. The intimidating yet alluring Will Shade was wearing a dark blue suit today, no tie and his top two dress shirt buttons open, freeing more of a view of his tan neck.

"It's good to see a familiar face," he said, sighing a little.

"I feel the same. I mean, I wondered about you," she said, and she suddenly felt heat rush to her cheeks. "Not in a bad way. What I mean is…" She rambled and looked into his gaze. He smiled and his expression seemed playful, yet still scaring the pants off her at some level.

No one messed with this guy, she thought, which scared her even more if Oliver found out about him. She didn't want to guess what a more intimidating male demeanor did to another mid-sized intimidating male one. Toe to toe, or rather big muscle to muscle.

"You seem distracted," he said finally, which broke Felicity out of her thoughts.

"I was just thinking. You seem so unlikely the person who would have to learn SAP."

"I couldn't agree more. Could barely get through it today," he said with a grunt. "But I have a feeling you'll tell me why I don't seem like the computer type."

"Because you look like a walking small army?" she said quickly. "Sorry if that's rude."

He laughed amused. "Not rude, just...well, a little forward."

"That's me. More forward than I'm ready to be." She rested her chin on entwined hands. "So tell me, you must have a story. I don't mean to pry, but we're having dinner together, for the second time, and I don't know a thing about you. You seem like the type of person they write novels about, a series of novels."

"What genre?" he teased, playing along with her observation.

"Oh, you wouldn't be in one genre, but many genres," she said honestly. "Definitely action, adventure, maybe...drama?" She didn't want to say the one she was immediately thinking of.

His eyebrow cocked. "Not romance? Am I that scary?"

Felicity chuckled, waving a hand. "You didn't let me finish," she said, and his smile widened.

The conversation continued and Felicity lost track of time again. She learned a little bit more about him, but she could tell he was hesitant. He had served some kind of military service, but she noticed he didn't want to talk about it so she didn't pry. As for his career, he talked about traveling all over the world. He was a contract negotiator and a mediator between countries and political factions. He couldn't go much into detail and confessed that most of his dealings had been confidential where he was silenced with many non-disclosure agreements.

Felicity could tell he was good at his job; he had a passion for it and seemed to boast about how much he was in demand about many interested parties.

His short biography definitely expanded her curiosity and proved her instincts that Will Shade was definitely a mysterious man. With a military past and a career in dealing with difficult people, there was no doubt he had a penchant for danger.

Unfortunately the Corner Bakery was coming to a close again, and their food and conversation was winding down.

"Look, Felicity, it was terribly rude of me to leave last time without giving you this," he said, and he pulled out a business card from his jacket's inner pocket and scribbled down a number before handing it to her.

"My personal mobile," he said.

Her mouth opened but she failed to find the words to speak. Her toes tingled again.

"I know you're probably not familiar with it," he began, "but typically in the beginning of a romance genre, when a man gives a beautiful woman his number, it means he's interested in seeing her again and extending this story."

Her words came out in a breathy stutter. "E-even a scary man?" she asked hoarsely, trying to be funny, but mostly trying to keep her wits about her.

His smile now reminded her of a Cheshire cat. "Even a scary man." He chuckled, and the tone of his voice seemed to drop so low everything was feeling tingly. "Good night, Felicity."

When he was gone, Felicity sighed heavily. She blinked a few times and felt herself moving as the Corner Bakery staff shooed her out of their closing doors. When she arrived back into her apartment building, she couldn't remember how she could get there.

All she could remember was Will Shade; his voice, his presence and his story.

To Be Continued...


	5. Five

AN: I'm going to start a drinking game for all the times people ask me to lengthen my chapters. Yep.

* * *

**Dark Stranger**

Five

He thought himself a fool; he knew it the moment he pushed Felicity away. He was always pushing her away; especially when they were getting too close, or when she was learning too much about him, exposing his true self in ways he'd never been comfortable exposing before.

He didn't know what he was doing with Sara. Well, he _knew_, and she knew, but they had come to each other because there was history, and he was relieved she was alive, so that he could somehow make it up to her all the injustices he had stained upon her life.

They found comfort in each other in the most basic and primal way. She wouldn't even let him hold her at night while she cried. He would excuse himself from the bed as she clutched the damp sheets, screaming into the pillow to mask out the screeching sounds.

He might have loved Sara once, or he still did but it was peripheral and convenient. It was convenient for her because he knew her, deeply, and because he was here, and she was still running from Nyssa even though the woman had released her.

He'd caught her saying Nyssa's name in her sleep, without tears, and he knew deep down Sara's heart still belonged to the other woman - she still yearned for her, and if not for the kind of life that Nyssa required from Sara, there was no way she'd even be in his bed.

He admitted to himself that Sara kept his feelings for Felicity at bay. Fear struck him the moment Felicity told him about Thea's lineage, and he was surprised at how broken he felt the way she worried he would lose her.

He couldn't, honestly. He was even more afraid of the kind of man he'd become without Felicity's friendship, but he kept telling himself that right now, that's all they could be.

_But you want more,_ a voice inside chided. It was true; he had caught himself several times before falling - before leaning in and capturing her lips or pulling her against him to feel her softness against his scars.

To want that, he felt greedy. He had so much to make up for, so much he owed Starling City and to all who he had wronged.

"You can't expect her to wait forever," Diggle had chided him once. It was after Barry had left, and he and Felicity had fought over his criticism of her work performance.

He hated when Diggle said things to him like that. He couldn't answer, only scowl and know his friend was right.

Though part of him wondered if a man like Barry Allen was better for Felicity. That she deserved someone better, and that to love him would only get her killed. He still had a bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of McKenna, and he'd have nightmares every night of ways that Felicity would die before him, that he would fail her. The Count had made him feel that.

"She's really something," Sara said, and it surprised him because they were done training for the day and she was laying on her back stretching her calves. She was staring at the ceiling, and Oliver thought she was thinking of Nyssa.

"Hrmm?" he said.

"Felicity. She's cool."

"Yes," Oliver said, but he gave her a quizzical look, as if he expected her to hate Felicity.

Sara rolled her eyes. "I like her, okay? She's been nice to me, she patches up my wounds without question, and she's loyal. Also, she hasn't called me a bitch yet, which is a huge plus in my book. I hear that enough that it's become a trigger."

"Felicity would never call you a bitch. She calls Isobel a bitch, but not you."

Sara laughed. "I bet she has good reason." Sara met his eyes and stared. She seemed to have a million questions, but one was obviously sticking out. "Oliver, what are you doing to that poor woman?" Her voice seemed softer, but he could still detect the accusatory tone. "You couldn't ask for a more pure-hearted, loyal friend in your life, and yet… you're so blind to her."

His brow raised and he sighed heavily, seemingly unhappy with the direction of this conversation. "Oh, so I'm blind." His tone was shaper, and he met Sara's stare defiantly. "I'm not blind… I just want her to be safe...from me."

Sara blew out a breath. "Well, okay, but don't you think it's a little late for that?"

She stood up from her stretching and began to walk out of the training room without looking back at him, leaving him to his own thoughts. "Do what you want, Oliver," she told him. "But as long as I've known you, you've had the best instincts when it comes to people. I can't believe you left that on the island too."

* * *

Felicity Smoak put on her pink pajamas for the evening and crawled into bed. She picked up the business card that Will Shade had given her that night, and she stared at his number.

They had reluctantly left each other's company that evening, and Felicity had to fight every urge in her bones to ask him up to her apartment for coffee. Thankfully, good sense took over and she made herself wait. A little patience was a good thing, right? She couldn't just jump into bed with someone because Oliver wasn't looking her way anymore?

Still, curiosity for Will Shade bubbled in her brain, and she could resist researching him further in the only way she knew possible.

She was going to hack into the CIA's database tonight. It wasn't her most honest hobby, but it did give her a thrill. Only, normally she hacked into their system for important reasons.

She supposed vetting a new boyfriend was a good enough reason.

Turning to her laptop recharging on her nightstand, she pulled it into her lap and flew through her encryption keys to her programs.

"Just who are you Will Shade," she whispered to herself, and she got to work.

* * *

Slade smiled as his computer beeped at him. He turned to the red-headed woman sitting next to him and met her eyes. She was smiling with satisfaction and excitement. Having her create an identity for him all across the world's networks had been a great challenge, and a thrill.

"She's looking into you, sir."

"Thanks, Barbara. I imagine our dear Felicity Smoak is going to enjoy what she finds," he said, and they both watched in glee as screens blinked and flashed at him, showing them how deeply Felicity could dig.

"She's good," Barbara said in admiration.

"Yes, she's one of the best," he said, and he heard Barbara snort next to him.

"Don't be mad, love," he told her. "Soon she'll be out of the picture, and you won't have any more competition."

* * *

Felicity had hacked into enough intel about Will Shade that she was allowing herself to find. Some things, namely the majority of his past, was best left to redacted documents and shady reports.

She supposed he was being protected for a variety of reasons, one of the clearest being that he was often an asset to the American government on negotiating deals and bringing them high level information. He was a valued contractor and it was apparent the US had liberally given him some great freedoms, as well as a pretty solid reference if he were ever questioned for his expertise in any job setting.

Knowing that made Felicity admire him a little more. He was a true ally to the US, especially when he had no loyalties to a country that wasn't his own. It only showed Felicity that he was a pretty decent guy and probably fought for his causes to create peace and diplomacy among sticky situations.

Despite the relief this gave her, Felicity was more than determined to pursue him. Once she was done with her programs and rounds for Oliver and their team that evening, she'd have to tap into her bolder self and call up Will's number - maybe ask him out to a place other than Corner Bakery.

Of course, there was a snag in her plans - and her determination.

When she arrived in the basement that evening, everyone was gone except Oliver. The lights were dimmed, and Felicity was worried that they weren't meeting tonight even though Oliver had sent out the group text to meet.

"Oliver, where's Digg and Roy?" She didn't ask about Sara. Sara had told her the night before she was going to be on her own for awhile trying to break up a rumored sex trafficking ring that had stained the Glades for a long time. Felicity definitely offered her full support on that, and she gathered a lot of information for Sara to use.

"Diggle is helping Lyla with a tough case, and Roy is actually out with Thea tonight. Some sort of anniversary."

"Huh, so I'm excused for the evening?" she asked, feeling uncomfortable as he stared at her with eyes full of uncertainty and turmoil.

"Felicity, we need to talk," he said simply. Felicity's brow raised, and she almost choked in surprise.

She thinned her lips. "Oh, that whole you ignoring me thing, we're finally going to talk about that?" she asked, feeling cheeky. She'd been so worried, so angry with Oliver's cold shoulder lately that she felt like lashing out right now. At least a little bit. He had to at least know how she felt.

Oliver sighed and shifted his eyes, and she could see he was trying to control his own temper; which, when he did that with her, it usually meant he expected her anger.

"Look, you barely said anything to me after I told you about Thea and your mother. You didn't even give me a chance to explain what really happened between me and your mom, and you acted as though nothing changed between us…" Her words trailed off. "Or between you and Sara."

"Felicity," he said her name, in a way that always made her shudder down to her toes. She couldn't help the feeling; it was what he did to her, but she was still angry nonetheless.

"It's okay; I get it," she said. "Well, I don't but I can see where you're coming from."

"I'm sorry," he finally said, and she was taken off guard for a moment, but then she steeled her nerves.

"What's to be sorry about? You kept your promise," she said with a weak smile, and she avoided his eyes, looking anywhere but in his face. She didn't want to see his expression; she didn't want it to give her hope to keep waiting, only to be pushed aside again.

"You haven't left me. You're still my best friend," she said in a shaky voice, and it took everything in her power not to cry. "So," she sucked in a deep breath. "We're done for the night? Nothing going on?"

"Yes," he said, though his tone sounded uneven and she could tell he wanted to say more, but couldn't. The ball was in his court, she mused, and he was still having trouble making the play.

"Alright, if you'll excuse me…" she said, and she finally looked at him, feeling numb and shielded from the disappointment on his face. "I have a date with Netflix."

When she turned heel and walked up the stairs, Felicity could hear Oliver yelling and grunting as he began attacking a nearby heavy bag.

To Be Continued….


	6. Six

AN: Once again thanks you for all your comments, favorites and follows! Warning for mature themes in the chapter.

* * *

**Dark Stranger**

Six

Felicity was glad when her work day was over and she was able to leave Queen Consolidated. Oliver was mostly in meetings with Isobel that day, and the tension was so thick in the office, that Felicity was glad to get away from it all. She was also happy Moira Queen wasn't showing her face around the building anymore, for Felicity wanted nothing more than to avoid that woman.

She would have felt sorry for Oliver in Isobel's presence in addition to the meetings, but she was glad from the reprieve from gaze of his angsting eyes.

They kept things friendly when they did interact, and Oliver seemed as anxious as she was that there was still no sign of the people behind the Mirakuru drug. Even crime dwindled in the Glades, and Sara and Digg wrapped those jobs up without a problem.

Felicity could tell that Oliver was bored, but she was actually glad for the down time. She even took a half day to visit Barry Allen, who was unfortunately still in a coma. She reluctantly left his bedside and headed back to Starling City, feeling anxious as she planned to call Will Shade that night.

When she arrived back to her apartment, she sent out a group text to Team Arrow telling them to call if there were any trouble. As much as she was anxious for some action, she kind of didn't want anything to spoil her chances of going out with Will tonight, if he was available.

Her ears buzzed when she called up his number. She paced in her small living room, and when she heard his silky Australian accent say "hello," she stuttered before greeting him.

"Hi, Will, it's Felicity Smoak," she said.

"Ahhh, I knew you'd call me. Had enough of random meetings at the Corner Bakery?" he asked teasingly. Her knees wobbled again. If only he was right in front of her saying those words.

"Uh, yeah, I'm beginning to think the exposition of this story between us is flat so, how about we progress things?" She laughed a little and he matched her amusement.

"I quite agree. Meet you outside Corner Bakery at 7? I promise we'll go somewhere else." She heard him pause. "It'll be a surprise." Her hormones seemed at full attention.

"Yes, please!" she said quickly. "I mean...uh, I will see you there at seven."

"Consider the surprise worthy of fancy dress, Ms. Smoak," he said, flirting with her again.

"Uh, yes, awesome," she said.

He chuckled lightly.

"See you at seven," she confirmed, and they said their goodbyes. Felicity looked at the time on her phone. It was 5:40 P.M. Seven o'clock was just too far away.

* * *

"That was easy," Barbara said, and Slade watched as she pivoted her wheelchair to meet her eyes. She was chewing on a Twizzler, looking amused through her purple framed glasses.

"Felicity has been spurned for too long, especially by the man she's in love with. Soon it will be Oliver's loss." He gave her a pointed look, "Make sure everyone in Starling City behaves themselves tonight."

"And what about the Canary?"

"Drop her another tip about another sex ring in Central City. She won't be able to resist it, not with Starling City's crime slowing to a dull halt," Slade said. Barbara had already turned her chair around as she tapped at her keys.

"On it, sir," she said.

Slade rose from his chair and straightened his suit. He headed to the vanity room to check his appearance before heading out for a few errands. Then, he would meet Felicity Smoak, woo her beyond anything she'd ever known, and slowly but surely destroy her trust in Oliver Queen.

He would take her and let her fall so deep, that she'd be so broken there'd be nothing left of her for Oliver to save.

Love was indeed a powerful emotion. It still ate him up at times, Shado's presence haunting him and poisoning the marrow of his bones. But he'd make his peace with it, and he'd tie up that last loose end so he could finally be free.

Oliver Queen would pay. Oliver Queen would lose everything and breathe his final breath knowing that his long lost "friend" had destroyed him.

* * *

"Is red too slutty?" she asked her tabby cat, who stared at her while she nervously clawed through her closet. Hey, at least she had decent clothes. She never really had them before, but if she was going to be Oliver Queen's personal assistant, she definitely had an excuse to own everything she was looking at now.

The problem was she had too many cute things, and she couldn't choose. She wanted to set the mood with Will Shade, but she didn't want to seem desperate, or skanky, or even, God forbid, a prude!

"I think purple is good. Purple is always safe," she said, looking at a slinky, fitted purple dress with an angled black color block slashing through the middle. She'd wear those purple pumps with the small black leather bows on them. It was trendy yet slightly vintage.

She'd keep her hair down, and no glasses, of course. She accented her outfit with a black clutch and black costume jewelry. The black onyx earrings sparkled, and her tabby cat's eyes followed the reflected beams moving about her ceiling.

"How do I look?" she asked the cat, but it turned to lick its paw and not pay her any mind.

"You're no help," Felicity said, and she hated that she had no girlfriends to run to for beauty and fashion advice.

"I'm just going to have to go for it," Felicity said, and she applied the lipstick and fluffed her hair.

"Well, here goes nothing," she said, and she smiled at herself in the mirror. She felt excited, but she couldn't help notice how sad her eyes looked. Was she really doing the right thing?

"Yes," she said aloud. "I can't wait for him forever, and if this is good, Felicity, you'll regret it."

She had a lot of regrets; she thought to herself honestly. But she didn't want this to be one of them.

* * *

Felicity lingered around the bustle of people as she waited for him in front of the Corner Bakery. She shifted her weight back and forth on her feet, looking around anxiously for Will to walk up to her.

She wasn't expecting him to come up to the curb in a stretch limo, turning heads and causing her mouth to drop.

He rolled down his window and grinned at her. "Are you ready?" She met his gaze, delighted in his smooth tan skin and the sophisticated gray in his hair. She noticed the dark brown suit, shimmering slightly with pinstriped gold threads.

"Yes, wow, you didn't have to get a limo," she said, and his smile widened.

"Business expense," he said simply, and Felicity didn't doubt the US government really looked carefully at every expense this guy made. He was too valuable and well, what was a little dinner and a limo for their best negotiator?

"Okay…" she said, and the driver parked the car long enough to open the door and help her inside. She slide on the leather seat next to him, brushing lightly against his thigh. She turned to him and shot him a nervous smile.

"So, dinner...the surprise," she said, frozen in his amused stare.

"Yes, a surprise," he said, and the silence between them was making her itch. She fidgeted uncomfortably next to him.

"You look beautiful, Ms. Smoak," he said.

She squeaked a little, laughed, and took a breath. "Thanks. You can call me Felicity, you know; you have before."

"I am aware, but I decided that from now on I'd be more of a gentleman to you," he said, but she figured he'd be stubborn. The formality was kind of cool; it was so completely him.

But she wondered. "Are you ever going to call me Felicity again?"

He leaned over close to her ear, and his voice was almost a whisper. "Not yet. It has to be the perfect time."

Her entire body felt like it erupted with wildfires. She didn't even have a witty response to that. How long had it been since a man openly flirted with her and set her entire body melting? Barry? No, Will wasn't like Barry and vice versa. Not at all.

Dinner must have been lovely, but Felicity admitted shamefully she didn't really remember it. She knew his surprise was an upscale restaurant, the wine was expensive, and a lot of people covered in diamonds sat in tables around them.

While the splendor eluded her at first, Felicity stared and listened to him talk while admiring the pitch and tone of his voice. She told him a little about her life, about her non-existent father and her neurotic mother. She talked briefly about her religion, and even called herself a pretty decent Jewish girl, all things considered. She confessed to not have been in a Synagogue in awhile, not since her aunt took her last summer. She had a hard time going alone, even though her life was mostly spent alone.

"But you got promoted from IT manager to personal assistant to Oliver Queen," he said, trying to make her feel better about herself. She found it hard not going the self-deprecating route, but without disclosing much about her moonlighting work, she really didn't seem all that special.

"Actually I wasn't the IT manager, yet. I just worked in IT," she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Felicity was grateful her dress was stretchy and her shoes were well worn in and comfortable.

"Quite a boost up the ladder, Ms. Smoak. People may have wondered about what had influenced that," he said suggestively, and she felt her words halt in her mouth, as if she had just swallowed sawdust. He sipped his wine, and she was amazed that the stem of the glass didn't break in his huge hands.

"Ah, I'm sure they have. Actually the reason is a really long story, a very non-sexy and platonic story."

"You must have helped Mr. Queen cover up some nasty stuff with your spectacular skills, or you uncovered something about him which has kept you stuck under his thumb, so to speak," he guessed. Felicity was impressed. It was a really good guess and it was almost true.

"Did you...just profile me? Is that what you do for your negotiations? You read people and observe them and know how to pinpoint their weaknesses to streamline into more fluid concessions?" Felicity asked, and she wondered by his expression if she had gone to far. "I'm sorry."

"I think you just profiled _me,_ Ms. Smoak," he said with a light chuckle.

"Well, I'm not just an IT girl," she said, sipping on her wine too.

"Indeed," he said with a nod. Silence fell between them in a long pause, and Felicity looked anxiously around the room at the fancy restaurant. She was starting to notice more of the riches and decor, and she felt the wine begin poking holes into her better senses.

"May I be frank, Ms. Smoak?" Will finally asked, drawing her attention back to his dark, intimidating features. "I was hoping you would call me today, and yet I must confess that this surprise expensive business expense is all a pretext."

Felicity almost choked on her wine. Who choked on wine? she scolded herself.

"Pretext?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes," he said simply, downing the last bit of red in his glass. The waiter came over immediately when he noticed it was empty. Will shook his head and put his hand over the glass. "Bring our check please, and also be so kind to add a bottle of the same red to go." The waiter bowed and scurried off back to the wait station.

Felicity caught herself gaping.

"We'll continue the reasons for this pretext at my hotel room. I hope you enjoyed the wine?"

"Who doesn't love wine. I mean...the wine was awesome. It's been awhile since I drank wine from my grandmother's time."

"Cheers," he said, and the waiter came back just as Will was rising from his seat. The wine to-go was neatly wrapped up, and Will gave him a few large bills for the meal, and the waiter was audibly grateful before he buzzed off again. Felicity's brain seemed dead with shock inside her skull. She looked up, and Will was offering his hand.

* * *

"Shall we?"

The pretext may have initially involved more wine, but in the end it didn't. Felicity wondered quickly if that was for later.

The moment Will closed the door to his hotel room, the lights stayed off and he was pulling her against him, drawing her lips into his mouth. She squeaked in surprise, but felt herself melting against him, listening to the song of the wine in her blood and giving in. All common sense, all warnings to slow things down, did not seem to compute.

"Felicity," he breathed as he broke the kiss and drew her forward. She realized the formalities were over, and she was pulling his suit jacket, his vest, and his undershirt off vigorously - desperate to touch the heated dark skin hidden underneath, just like unwrapping an unexpected present. When his shirt was gone, she felt patches of raised and rough skin on him in the dark. Scars? Did every man she know have surface scars and dubious pasts?

She gasped as feeling tore through her thoughts and his hand was under her dress, seeking out warmth, finding treasured wetness. He lead her against the wall, her legs tensing as they rubbed against him, spasming at the feeling in between. He drew his fingers out, pulling her dress up, and pushing down her lacey orange panties.

"Wait," she cried in an exhale, and he stopped reluctantly, looking into her eyes. "Will, please, protection…"

He nodded solemnly, but she swore she heard a growl through his teeth, fending back an inhuman control. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into the blackness of the room, listening to the heightened sounds as he stomped around the room and slammed a nearby drawer.

His hands were soft, alerting her that he was back. His lips found her neck, tracing a languid path to her breasts. She felt him lift her, her legs automatically wrapping around his thick torso, searching out his skin. He was wearing nothing, she mused, and she opened her eyes and squinted at him in the dark, piecing together his shapes.

As he rocked into her, she felt the hardness against her thigh, and she surged with the return of those raging wildfires within her, burning brighter and hotter than ever.

His mouth found hers again, intensifying passed the initial kiss, drawing her in and draining her whole. She cried softly as she felt him push against her, searching out, meeting at the crossroads and filling her to the hilt. She began to move into a rhythm, delighting in the electric pulses from his motions, feeling the slick friction begin slow and progress upward with the ascending growls against her ear.

Will was thick, opening and stretching her to limits she had not experienced for a long time. She was slightly scared, losing herself to this man that she barely knew, this man who captured her bruised and forsaken heart.

Her body cried, primal and satiated as his pace increased and she knew nothing but the hot crescendo that was washing over them as he screamed a madman's howl at his end.

Her ears flooded with white noise, and he'd left her panting. Slowly, she put her rubbery legs and feet to the floor as he rested his head against her chest. She traced a soft finger down the elastic of his eye patch, wandering into the thick tufts of his black hair, weaving her fingers through and delighting in his sweat.

She leaned against the wall as he pulled away. He took her hand, squeezing it as he motioned her to follow.

"I suppose I've been too forward, Ms. Smoak," he said amidst his own pacing. "Please allow me to escort you to my bedroom."

Felicity was sure her heart had stopped. When she walked on tired legs behind him, she wondered if this was how a zombie felt.

Or maybe she was just someone who gave too much this time because she had waited so long to give it?

To Be Continued...


	7. Seven

**Dark Stranger**

Seven

Felicity blinked her eyes open and felt the warning buzz in her head that indicated she had too much wine last night - as well as too much fun.

Regrets came washing over her, and she wondered if loneliness and alcohol had led her to take things too quickly with Will Shade last night. She had a sinking feeling in her gut that his mysterious and dark persona wasn't just attractive, it was dangerous, and maybe she hadn't vet him enough before jumping into bed with him.

She sat up in an empty bed, and the smell of breakfast wafted throughout the hotel rooms. Upon closer inspection in the sunlight, Will was staying in a pretty nice suite that separated the living room and bedrooms, and had a small kitchen up front.

Realizing she had brought nothing but her purse and the clothes from last night, Felicity pondered grabbing his white dress shirt off the floor and wearing it to greet him.

Instead, she felt the urgency to leave and get back to her apartment, shower, and enjoy her Saturday writing more computer programs and even checking on Will Shade some more, mostly to subdue her conscience; which was screaming at her that some things were still not right.

She grabbed her undergarments and dress on the floor, and she composed herself as best as possible. She tossed her dry contacts away and put on her glasses that she was grateful she had brought in her clutch purse.

She tiptoed to the living area where Will was waiting with his back turned to her. Delighting in the smell of coffee and room service breakfast, Felicity wondered if she should stay, just a little bit, and enjoy having breakfast. Leaving so soon would be pretty rude, wouldn't it?

"Good morning, love," he said, and he slowly turned to meet her. He walked over, and she noticed he was wearing nothing but a black tank top and tight fitting boxer briefs. Every muscle of his seemed to call to her, urging her to stay. She licked her lips.

"Oh," he said, noticing her clothes. "Why don't you take one of the white robes and join me for breakfast?"

She put up her hand and felt very nervous. Would he get angry that she was leaving so soon? "I'd love to, really, but I have to go."

"It's Saturday; don't tell me Oliver Queen makes you work Saturday," he said, and he was wrapping his arms around her and nibbling on her ear. His breath was hot and he smelled like bacon.

"Wow," she coughed. She really didn't want to leave, but her voice of reason was screaming at her.

"No, it's not that. I'd love to stay. I'd probably even stay the whole day, but I really need to get back home, shower, and do my errands. I have a few work related errands yes, but some things I can't avoid."

He sighed heavily. "I understand, but you must call me tonight." He took her hand and was staring into her eyes. He kissed the top of her hand and seemed to inch closer, seducing her with his hot skin against hers.

She really wanted to stay, but she was starting to get scared; whether it was her own thoughts or his addictive presence, Felicity didn't know.

"Absolutely. Yes. Calling you tonight," she said, and he pulled her in for a long, breathtaking kiss. Her knees wobbled again, and her morning headache raged.

She stepped away and smiled nervously. She patted his cheek.

"I had a wonderful time last night," she said, and if anything that was true. "Bye, Will."

She found her shoes, and made an unglamorous and unbalanced exit from his hotel room without looking back.

* * *

It was a strange evening. Barbara wasn't really used to being out of Slade's presence. He usually kept a few goons watching her through the night if he was away, but that night he'd only put one on watch, and she was grateful when her guard had fallen asleep.

She played nice with Slade. She had to. He'd put an arrow in her back months ago, subjecting her to this stupid chair when he discovered her snooping around his affairs. Well, the last computer expert he'd terrified into employment had found her out, and when he'd intercepted her, she'd been too weak physically to escape him.

He was a monster, and though he never told her, she knew he'd been injected with a super human serum known as Mirakuru. That was what made him so formidable. That was what made him ultimately unbeatable.

But his brain was mush compared to computers. The poor bastard could barely use Google. It made her sad, but it gave her a significant advantage. As her sentry had fallen asleep on his watch that evening, Barbara snuck in a few encryption programs that were easy to spot for an experienced hacker, but to anyone else they would just look like errors.

She went back into "Will Shade's" redacted CIA files, and she went to work, planting the encryption codes there.

Barbara was sure Slade was entertaining Felicity Smoak that night. She only hoped that the woman had some sense to do some more digging on her potential new beau. And for a computer hacker, digging deeper into a person's file was more than tempting after a while.

And the more involved her captor Slade got with Felicity Smoak, the more Barbara hoped warning bells would go off.

Will Shade was just too good to be true. She'd hope even Felicity had seen that.

The encryptions were already done and asleep for Felicity to find before Slade came back, keeping a watchful eye over her shoulder as she led Felicity around the net looking for anything on Will Shade, only to find that he was a perfect ally and upstanding guy.

But Barbara was confident that Felicity would find out soon enough, and when she did, she hoped that Felicity would find her and free her, even introduce her to the Canary, who was her ticket to revenge on Slade.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Barbara still had a few tricks up her sleeve, and only Felicity could find them.

* * *

"Has Felicity been going to Central City lately?" Oliver asked Digg as they were sparring in the lair, and Oliver was feeling sharp and a little bored. There was still no sign of the Mirakuru goons and crime in the Glades was tepid at best.

Digg sighed. "I think she went a couple of times. I know she's been dating again," Digg said, watching Oliver's reaction carefully.

"What?" he said, and gave Digg's hand one last, strong jab before pulling back. His expression darkened as his brow furrowed in surprise. "I didn't know."

"You haven't exactly been talking to her lately, not since Sara…"

"Yes, yes, I know. I did talk to her about that." Oliver punched Digg's hand again. "It was difficult."

"You're an idiot," Digg said, pulling back and taking off his gear. He shook his head. "I don't want to get into this drama, but you gotta know how Felicity feels. You gotta know how you've been treating her around Sara."

"Sara is trying to adjust, and… I'm hoping there's something there between us to recover. Maybe something to build on now that Nyssa has released her."

"Is there anything there?"

"Sara can take care of herself. She's a fighter. Felicity is…"

"I didn't ask that, Oliver. We both know Sara is a fighter, and she has great combat skills. Felicity's skills are great too, but you can't make her something she's not."

"I know," Oliver said. "It's why she has to stay...as she is. With me, she's not safe."

"It's already too late for that Oliver," Diggle said and he watched as Oliver started pounding the heavy bag again, directing all of his frustration in his fists.

"Does Felicity have a say in any of these decisions?" Digg asked finally.

Oliver paused, and his face fell with sad contemplation. "No."

Digg sighed again and prepared to leave. "Like I said. You're an idiot."

* * *

A hot shower and a cup of java was exactly what Felicity needed to clear her hazy head. Her body was slightly sore, more her feet than other places, and the guilt seemed to be an anvil hanging over her head.

"What am I thinking?" she asked herself as she stared at her reflection in her mirror.

Should she really feel guilty for having a nice time with a man who was interested in her and actually wanted to make love to her?

"It wasn't making love," she told herself. It was far from love; it was quick, primal and a little frightening, like she had been a prize that he'd been claiming. She could almost taste the victory in his kisses - his sultry, amazing kisses.

"Ugh, this is so stupid!" Felicity yelled, scaring her cat off the end of her bed and under a dresser. She threw off the towel and put on some yoga pants and a shirt. She pulled her laptop onto her folded legs and began searching again.

This time she would dig deeper into Will Shade's past. There was no need for respect of his privacy anymore. He took her to bed, and now she had to know who he really was. More than anything, she had to shut her conscience up and subdue her woman's intuition, which was screaming at her to have more sense.

"Just why are you so mysterious? What am I missing?" She scoured the sources, dug into international reports and all suspicious activity. Her search always led her back to the paths of the redacted CIA files that seemed to protect Will Shade like a second skin.

Her brain felt numb, her coffee on her nightstand was cold, and she couldn't believe four hours had gone by since she started searching. She was beginning to see double.

She did a few eye exercises to get her brain back on track, looking right and then left. She took a few deep breaths, and she stretched her fingers. She looked back at the screen and stared.

Felicity tilted her head. "What is that?" There was a strange pattern in the redacted lines of his files. In fact, she couldn't remember redacted files to have that many black circles with the lines, in perfect measure. She couldn't even recall ever seeing that at all.

"That's… morse code," she said with a gasp. She threw the code into a translation program and it came up as gibberish.

Felicity wasn't defeated yet. She studied the patterns of the letters.

"Encryption," she said in a whisper. She dropped the code into four different encryption programs. She would have to wait fifteen minutes before they were done, but it was worth paced anxiously around her room in her bunny slippers, and she nibbled on her fingernails.

Her cat came out to stare at her, and she paused. "What is going on?"

Her programs dinged at her and she rushed back to read the message on the screen. Icy cold fear lasered through her bones.

WILL SHADE IS NOT WHO HE SEEMS. DON'T BE A FOOL, FELICITY.

- ORACLE.

"Who the hell is Oracle?" she thought angrily.

And who the hell did she sleep with last night? Felicity's blood went cold, and she felt her coffee turning to acid in her stomach. She ran to the toilet and released the contents of her upset stomach. She felt a cool wave rush over, but deep inside her core she felt very scared. And very pissed.

She drank some water and started analyzing the data she was finding in detail. When there was no more messages from Oracle, Felicity gave up. Whoever they were, they were warning her about Will Shade, and Felicity was at a loss to why someone would want totrick her.

The answer seemed to cry inside her brain: Oliver. It was because they knew she was helping Oliver. She already told Will Shade too much, so she wondered what he had already known before they'd even met each other.

Her brain buzzed with restlessness, and Felicity was ready to head out the door to find sanctuary in the lair when her phone rang.

She froze in shock at the name on the screen.

"H-Hello...Will?" she answered, and she kept telling herself to play it cool, to act as if she'd found out nothing. She had to get to the bottom of why he was a liar and who he really was. Most of all, she wanted to know why he targeted her. If she could play along and find out before his plan finished, she could be saving Oliver, Digg, Roy and Sara. Everybody.

She could prove herself beyond her computers to Oliver.

"Hello, love, did I wake you from a nap?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry." She faked a noisy yawn. "Did I forget something at your place?"

"Oh, no, I confess I couldn't wait for you to call me tonight. Care to go out to dinner again?" His voice was silky smooth and tantalizing, but since she'd discovered the warning, she could almost detect the venom in his words now.

"Yeah, um, where do you want to go?" she asked. "I can be ready at 7."

"I think we'll keep it simple this time. French okay?" he asked.

"Ooh, that sounds good," she said, faking enthusiasm.

"Wonderful, see you at seven," he said. "Might want to bring a travel bag this time."

She laughed and could hear his chuckle on the other line. That was the last thing she wanted to do. Maybe she could confess that she forgot it? No, that wouldn't stop him.

Maybe she could have someone get her out of it?

"Well, see you then," he said, and when they said their goodbyes, Felicity shuddered. She had to be strong, but she didn't know if she could keep up the act around him in person without tipping him off that she knew he wasn't legit.

She bit her lip and wondered what she could do before seven o'clock. Should she tell someone?

"I can't tell Digg or Oliver. They'll talk me out of it. They'll put me in a glass prison and Oliver will put an arrow in him before I'll be able to find out who he is and why this Oracle person warned me."

She also didn't know how to tell Oliver what she'd already done with Will Shade. She really didn't want the looks of disappointment. She was getting enough of that from him already.

It was clear. There was only one person she could tell, and it would have to be someone that would understand her need to take this investigation forward.

She searched through the contacts in her phone and typed up out the message.

SARA, PLEASE DON'T FREAK OUT, BUT I THINK THE MAN I'VE BEEN SEEING ISN'T REAL AND THAT HE KNOWS OLIVER. I'M SEEING HIM AGAIN TONIGHT. MAY NEED YOUR HELP. - FELICITY.

Felicity took a deep breath, and she prepared for her dinner date with Will Shade, whomever he was.

To Be Continued...


	8. Eight

**Dark Stranger **

Eight

Sara was rounding up the last of the sex traffickers in Central City when her phone beeped. She continued to string up the criminals by their torsos on a low hanging crane, and she hurried through the streets out of plain sight as sirens blazed toward the free, yet still frightened young girls shivering outside the storage areas where they were imprisoned.

She finally got a moment to look down at her phone, only to feel her heart sink when she read the text.

"Felicity," she said in a heavy breath. Dread pooled in her stomach and Sara didn't have a good feeling at what Felicity was getting into. She hoped the woman would wait. She hoped that Felicity know what she was doing.

She ran back through the darkened streets of Central City and searched for a fast car parked on the curb, something that was going to get her home before Felicity put herself in danger.

* * *

Felicity was staring at herself in the mirror, trying to control her uneven breaths. Her nerves were a bundled mess, and she kept reminding herself that she had to stay calm, be cool, and play the perfect part for Will Shade when he picked her up for dinner at 7, the same time by the Corner Bakery, probably in another friggin' limo.

She sighed deeply. She could do this. She did this when she counted cards at that underground poker ring with Oliver not long ago. She was very determined, and sure, she felt safer with Oliver whispering in her ear from the earpiece.

Maybe she should tell Oliver. Maybe he would agree with her plan and back her up?

"Not a chance," she said disappointed. She knew exactly what Oliver would do. He would tell her to stay in the lair, in front of her computers, and research Will Shade from there while he, Roy, and Digg would search out Will Shade and take care of him themselves. And with Roy still raging from the Mirakuru, she wondered if they'd get any solid answers out of this man who called himself Will Shade.

She was glad, at least, that she told Sara. Felicity was relieved that after tonight Oliver would probably know about Will Shade, and she'd have his help in this after all. But for now, tonight, she had to find out more about him, and what he really wanted from her on her own terms.

She couldn't do that, she reasoned, if Will Shade was suddenly spooked by her intentions.

Not too mention, Felicity had enough issues of her own trying to deal with the guilt of sleeping with this man when he wasn't what he seemed. She knew that she hadn't missed that encryption before; there was no way she was that lovesick the first go around when she vetted him.

That only meant that this Oracle person had been watching Will Shade and had known to tip Felicity off. Oracle had also known more about Felicity too, guessing she'd pick up on that encryption code easily when put right in front of Felicity's face.

Felicity sighed again, put on a brave face, and finished her make up. She kept her clutch handy, purposely forgetting the overnight bag that Will had suggested over the phone.

"Oh, silly me! What was I thinking," she practiced in the mirror, looking at her face and watching if it was convincing enough.

Sighing again. "It'll do. Thank God I'm awkward enough already!"

She opened her clutch purse and checked at the contents inside. She felt a sense of mild relief knowing she had one final card up her sleeve. She had taken one of the tracking devices off of Oliver's arrows and had manipulated it to serve as her own personal beacon the moment she clicked it on. The signal would go straight to the lair sounding piercing alarms that would rival The Canary's sonic devices.

She only hoped that she didn't have to use it.

* * *

Felicity took a shot of vodka before she left her apartment, hoping it would calm her nerves once Will Shade picked her up. She masked the alcohol with an overpowering breath mint, and she waited on numb nerves for him in front of the Corner Bakery again.

She was glad to be wearing a more subtle dress, white with large brown florals. She wore comfortable flats and kept stylishly warm with a brown cardigan with large white buttons. Tonight she was wearing her glasses, preferring to be herself and "see things more clearly" as she told herself. Felicity also hoped that the reflections from the lights onto her glasses might mask some of the anxiety in her eyes. She hoped.

Will Shade rolled up in another limo, and he let the driver guide her inside the door. She slid on the seat opposite of him and took in his appearance with a smile.

He was still gorgeous, but she could sense how deadly he was now. She wondered why it wasn't as prominent before. She certainly felt the danger about him, and started to rethink her decision to leave Oliver out of this one mission. If she knew better, Sara had already rushed back after that text and had informed him that she may be in danger.

"You look lovely," he said, and she let her eyes trace over his midnight suit, simple but not so plain when he wore it. Felicity wondered how many knives and guns he could stash in it.

Then she immediately regretted that thought as it had caught her off guard and brought up some of the fear she was trying to mask.

"I get the feeling we're going to have the conversation that we're moving too fast," Will Shade said.

Felicity laughed loudly. "It's like you read my mind."

"I do feel I took advantage, and maybe you are not wrong in thinking I was too forward last night," Will said, and she almost hated how charming he sounded.

"It takes too," she said, waving her hands. "Look, I wasn't lying when I said I had a good time, but yeah, for me, this is super speed fast. I'm not sure what to make of it. It makes me… uh, a little nervous. Sorry."

He nodded, and she could feel his gaze gliding over her, profiling her again. Even with one eye it was scary how he seemed to read her.

"I understand. I hope that at least we can have a lovely dinner," he said cordially.

"Of course, who turns down dinner?" she said. "Plus, we can still… get to know each other. I'd still like that." That was the total truth. She would like to know more about him, everything, even the lies. Why was he interested in her? She still wondered that. She knew that it was probably because of Oliver, but she wanted to know what reason this imposter would give her.

"I feel you have a question you've been wanting to ask me, Ms. Smoak," he said.

Back to the formalities, she noticed. He only called her Felicity when it slipped, or frequently when he had her in his bed. She inwardly shuddered.

"Why me?" she asked honestly. "Why are you interested in me? I'm the girl no one notices until their computer breaks. I'm the girl that stands by someone's side smiling dumbly while friends and family ask, who are you? I want to know why you ran into me and just didn't move on, be polite and never speak to me again?"

Will shook his head. "You give yourself far little credit, Ms. Smoak. I imagine you have no idea how others see you, or the potential you have. Those people who see you and ask you who you are? They are threatened by you, more than likely. Your presence is deceiving, love, but your skills, your confidence and uniqueness, it shines even if you don't see it."

Felicity gaped. She wasn't expecting such high praise. He was a convincing actor, whoever he was, and he knew the right things to say. If she wasn't suspicious of him thanks to Oracle (and her own intuition) she might have fallen for him already. Damn the suspicions! She might have brought a very large overnight bag as well.

"Oh, I see. Well, I don't, but thank you for giving me your input," she said softly.

"You still don't see it? You went from IT girl to Oliver Queen's personal assistant in no time. There must be a reason for that," he said.

"As we already discussed," she said, and when the limo stopped, the conversation halted as well. They arrived at the French restaurant that Will had mentioned. He took her hand as they exited the limo, and she automatically took his offered arm. They strode inside, and she couldn't believe how much more luxurious this place was compared to the last one.

"Wow," she said.

"The champagne here is magnificent. Not sparkling wine either, the real stuff," he said, leaning to whisper in her ear.

"I'm a lucky girl," she said, and it wasn't too hard to fake an impressed smile. It just made her more curious about Will Shade and his games. Felicity was more than determined to figure that out.

"Felicity?" a voice called behind her, and Felicity got a quick glimpse of a frown on Will's face before turning to meet whomever spoke her name.

She was astounded to come face-to-face with Roy and Thea.

"Oh! Felicity!" Thea looked at her and then at her date, the towering Will Shade. She seemed shocked and slightly impressed.

Roy looked suspicious, sizing him up in a more primal way. Felicity was both terrified and relieved. If Sara didn't get to Oliver in time, she knew that Roy would tip off Oliver right away. She met his questioning eyes, and she smiled demurely.

"I'm so glad to to see you guys. Nice place, huh?" she said, chatting as if they were old friends. Roy nodded solemnly, and Thea looked to Will with a charming smile, but there was cautious curiosity in her eyes as well.

"This is my date Will Shade," Felicity said, pointing to him. He nodded at them, but said nothing. He stared at Roy and acted as though Thea didn't exist. "If you'll excuse us…"

Thea shook her head. "Yeah, uh, have a nice dinner. See you later," she said, and when Roy said nothing other than glowering into Will's eyes, Thea pulled him away.

When they left, Felicity saw a darkness washed over Will's face. He didn't seem pleased, but when he caught her looking at him, he immediately transformed into a different person.

"They seem nice," he said, which seemed weird and cliche for him to say.

"Yeah, not bad for a Queen," she said, and she pulled him along as they went to their table.

Will was right. The champagne was good, and it seemed to have a more dangerous effect on her than the wine of the previous night. It made no sense. Felicity considered herself a wine-and-spirits-drinking pro, but tonight she felt like an amateaur. Her head was fuzzy, her muscles felt tired and slushy, and she could barely sit up straight in her chair.

Had there been something else in the champagne?

"Let me ask you something?" she said, pointing at him. There were moments of silence between them, and she wondered if while intoxicated she was blabbering like she usually did, hoping she hadn't said something dangerous.

She saw Will motion for the check. He turned to her and gave his full attention. "Yes?"

"Have you ever done any of your negotiations under a different name?"

She saw his one eyebrow raise. "Oh, why would you ask that, Ms. Smoak?"

"You seem like the type," she said, feeling her tongue getting looser in her mouth. She became worried. She had to focus. She had to get ahold of herself, and she couldn't become vulnerable in the company of this strange man.

"Full disclosure, as long as you've asked, yes I have," he said.

"I thought so," she said.

"Well, you did want to get to know me better," he said, and suddenly her eyes were getting heavy. She felt herself moving, but she didn't know if he was helping her up, or if she was walking on her own. Cold air met her skin, and she realized that had come outside. The limo was waiting for them, and he was directing her back inside the vehicle.

"The thing is," he said, and she became somewhat aware of her head resting on his shoulder. He began stroking her hair, but she couldn't ward him off. She tried to grasp her senses, but she just couldn't.

When she had a little of her consciousness left, Felicity realized he'd somehow drugged her.

And he continued talking. She was picking up pieces, and the one piece that frightened her into running was the last thing she heard before falling into the black.

"I know you wanted to take things slow, love, but I'm afraid I can't. I'm leaving for Hawaii tonight, so I must insist that you come with me."

* * *

"Yes, I need you to follow someone and take care of him before he gets to the Vigilante," Slade spoke into his phone while Felicity rested on his lap. He was still stroking her hair, as if it was pleasing and therapeutic, like stroking a fluffy cat.

"Yes, his name is Roy Harper. Make sure the girl isn't with him, but if you have no choice, take care of them both."

The voice on the other end of his phone confirmed his orders.

"Roy must not make it to meet the Vigilante, do you understand? If he does, it'll ruin everything. Don't disappointment me." He hung up his phone and looked down at the snoozing blonde, who was unaware of the danger in store for her.

"Well, love, pack your bags, we're going on a tropical vacation."

To Be Continued...


	9. Nine

AN: I apologize to all my readers. I was really sick last night with a fever, and updated this chapter without really beta reading it through and I messed up the last scene. It's been revised. Please enjoy and sorry for the inconvenience.

* * *

Dark Stranger

**Nine**

The moment Thea's car dropped Roy off in his neighborhood, he knew he was being followed. He bypassed his house, and heading away and hoping to prevent the stalkers from knowing where he lived.

Once he took care of them, however, he'd head straight to Verdant and let Oliver know that criminal activity was on the rise again - and he was being targeted. Something seemed really suspicious about that, Roy thought, and he wondered if all this slow criminal activity was actually being controlled by someone.

It was a terrifying thought if it was true.

Shadows danced on the walls as he passed down a narrow allow. He walked through a cloud of smoke, heard the footsteps crackle behind him, and he turned. Stupid idiots. He brought them down this alley on purpose. There was no escape, and he would take them down one by one. The idea thrilled him. He'd been hungry for some excitement, and his blood was boiling for some violence.

Two men clenched their fists and headed toward him with sinister grins on their sweaty faces.

"Boys, what can I do for you?" Roy said, but he was hardly holding his rage back, feeling the excitement give way, and before he could let them answer, he charged them. He punched one guy first, sending him reeling into the brick wall behind him. He made an indent in the wall, causing a flurry of stone smoke and debris to spurt over him.

The other goon was not as easy as that one to approach. He seemed stronger, and he was a challenge even for Roy, despite possessing the strength of many with the Mirakuru serum pulsing through his veins. After taking a few jabs from the guy, and only planting a measly couple himself, it dawned on him that this guy had been injected with the drug too. The man roared at him like a wild beast, and he finally picked Roy up by the throat. Roy struggled, trying to squirm out of his grasp, kicking and landing a few punches to the jaw. He gave him one more powerful kick to the nuts, and the man roared with fury, throwing Roy out into the street.

Knowing that this fight may last forever, Roy turned heel and sped away, hating to run from a fight and ignoring the rage inside him that was telling him to go back and beat that guy until one of them was dead.

"_Control," _he heard Oliver's voice echo through his mind.

Wiping the blood off his mouth, Roy spat on the ground and subdued the monstrous voices echoing within his head. He had to get to the lair and warn Oliver that something big was beginning to stir up again.

* * *

Slade cradled the unconscious Felicity Smoak against his large chest, and he walked into his office where Barbara was hard at work. He'd called her to from the limo, ordering her to set up his flight for his little trip with Felicity.

She turned around and he could see the fear and anger in her eyes as he held Felicity. Slade knew that Barbara was defiant. She'd been like that before he'd doomed her to that chair, taking some of the fight out of her. She was a brilliant computer programmer, but he was sure she was ready to destroy him out of revenge the moment his back was turned.

Knowing that, he had sent instructions to two of his henchmen to take care of her once he was at the destination with Felicity.

He'd hope he could turn Felicity to his side. It was possible, given how they've bonded, but he knew she be angry with him for taking this route. He'd only taken her this way when he'd sensed she was becoming suspicious, and this so-called romance of theirs was taking too long to blossom. He admitted that Felicity had been hard to sway, but given the last choice he would give her on their trip, she would have no other choice and side with him, and he could replace Barbara easily. He looked down at Felicity and admired her pretty face. On second thought, Felicity would be much more valuable than Barbara, and he'd find other uses for her, and it would delight him even more if she turned to him and forgot about Oliver, further sticking the knife into Oliver's heart at losing her.

Regardless of what happened, Felicity Smoak had a choice to make, and once they got on that plane, she'd see that she was stuck, and it was too late for her to go back to Oliver now.

"Is the plane ready?"

Barbara spun around with her masked anger and turned back to her computer monitor. "You're booked on a private plane in Starling City Business Airport. Your flight leaves in two hours."

"Good, put the other plan in motion, Barbara. It's time to distract Oliver from knowing that his favorite IT girl is gone," Slade said. "He's too busy with the Canary to notice."

He observed Barbara swallow uncomfortably for a second before going back to her keyboard. She nodded, "Yes, sir."

As she tapped away, Slade placed the sleeping Felicity in a leather swivel chair. She was mumbling in her sleep, and sure that she'd wake up before their flight, Slade prepared another sedative for her, pulling back her sleeve and injecting the drug into a vein in her right arm.

"Nighty night, love," he said, and she smiled blissfully as a deeper sleep took her over.

* * *

Roy circled around the club and was sure no one was following him. He hoped that the goon he'd run from was too stupid to follow, but he was cautious, making sure he was truly alone.

He limped a little as he climbed down the stairs to the lair, where he found Diggle and Oliver intensely training with each other. They were so involved in their training that they didn't notice his presence until he'd leaned against Felicity's chair and it squeaked from his weight. Oliver immediately looked over, probably expecting it to be Felicity only to see Roy nursing his wounds instead.

"Roy," Digg said, looking concerned. "What happened?"

"Ugh, got jumped," Roy said. "One of them was...you know, like me."

Oliver nodded, coming to his side. "Tell us everything."

"Thea and I were out for dinner, ran into Felicity and some guy even, and then I took Thea home and got jumped. The one guy was normal; he was easy to toss around, but the second one... He was like a brick wall. Even with all my new power, I couldn't get him down," Roy said, cringing as Digg began tending to his wounds.

"Felicity and some guy?" Diggle asked with concern.

"Yeah, her date. Huge guy, black hair, grumpy face," he hissed as antiseptic hit the wound. He growled, quelling anger and fury. "Had an eyepatch."

Roy watched as Oliver's face went white. "An eyepatch?" he said in a low voice.

"Yeah… he looked like an asshole. What is Felicity doing with a guy like that? Unless, looks are deceiving. I just had a feeling, you know, that he could get as angry as I could," Roy said.

Diggle saw the uncomfortable look on Oliver's face. "Oliver, what are you thinking?"

"It can't be…" He breathed, and he spun around as Sara suddenly ran down the stairs into the lair. She looked agitated and worried, and somewhat out of breath. "Felicity is in trouble. She texted me and I got here as fast as I could."

"We're already realizing that," Oliver said, coming toward her. "What did she tell you?"

"She only texted me that she was meeting a man tonight that she was sure was not real. I assume that she meant he was faking his identity."

"And she went anyway?" Oliver raged.

Sara bit her lip to curb her anger. "Yes. I texted back and headed straight here. Ollie, she didn't reply to me, and I'm afraid she did it to find out WHY he was lying to her and who he really is. I just hope she's not trying to prove herself again.

Oliver clenched his fist, turning around and ready to punch the practice dummy with all his frustration and anger.

Before he could, all the computer monitors in the lair flickered wildly, like a rampant light show. They beeped, crackled, and elicited white noise like an old TV.

"This message is to the Vigilante and the Canary," said a voice, a woman, who took over all the sound in the lair, echoing with urgency.

"If you haven't already guessed it, Felicity Smoak is in deep peril, but I cannot tell you where she is until I can speak with the Canary," the voice said, and Sara left Roy to approach one monitor that began to shape into an alien green face with the top of her head pulsing with green lightning bolts.

"Barbara?" Sara asked. "Is that you? I thought you were dead."

"It's nice to see you too, Sara. And no, I'm not dead, but I'm not who I used to be. I met up with someone who you know well, and I got caught."

"Slade Wilson," she guessed.

"He has taken Felicity to get back at Oliver. I've been helping him without a choice, but I'm free for now. I have very little time. I can't tell you anything because knowing Slade, he has sent a kill order to me the moment he leaves the country."

"Leaves the country?" Oliver said. "He's got Felicity!"

"Yes," she confirmed. "But before I can tell you how to save her, Sara, you must come save me from Slade's assassins. They're going to take care of me and then wreak havoc all over Starling City."

Sara scoffed. "As I recall, Oracle, you can save yourself."

"Not anymore. Slade put an arrow in my back," she said pausing. "I can't walk, Sara."

Sara looked aghast. "Fine. I'll come get you, but you have to let us know what they did with Felicity so they can save her."

"I hope that they can," Barbara said. "Slade is going to the Starling City Business Airport on a private plane, number 55671. He's leaving in less than an hour. Get there and save Felicity. But be quick. He doesn't plan on bringing her back, wherever he's taking her."

Sara turned around, watching Oliver already running up the stairs and out the door. Diggle was right behind him in full mode to rescue their precious friend at any cost.

Roy threw his shirt back on, even though he was still weak from the battle with those goons before. He nodded to her, confirming she'd have backup to rescue Barbara and take on the chaos that Slade was going to unleash into Starling City.

"Let's go," Sara said, and she suited up and grabbed her weapons. Roy draped the hood over his head, and they ran out of the lair side-by-side.

To be continued...


	10. Ten

AN: I have a variety of excuses for why this chapter took so long to update: the flu, sinusitis, a fried and dead computer (RIP my old Mac) and Bubble Witch. Anyway, it's back! Enjoy!

* * *

**Dark Stranger **

Ten

Oliver's mind was trapped in a void. His body rushed as humanly possible through the streets of Starling City on his bike. Diggle was somewhere behind him, trying to catch up no doubt, but Oliver couldn't think of that now. He trusted that Diggle would move just as fast as he was.

He had to get to Felicity. He had to save her from Slade. If he didn't he'd never forgive himself.

If he failed her, out of everyone in his life, then he would be failing himself. If Felicity Smoak died because he'd been too dense and conflicted to show her the sort of attention and regard she deserved, then he didn't know what kind of man he would become.

Oliver didn't know what would be left inside him if Felicity Smoak died.

He wasn't tracking how much time had passed; it wasn't important. Lights and sounds flew by him, swallowed up by the void as he charged ahead, a chariot of determination with only one goal: get to Starling City Business Airport. He had to make it. There had to be time.

"Oliver," a voice said in his ear, and his heart almost stopped when he thought it could be Felicity, like she was always there, by his side in every mission. Instead, the voice belonged to Oracle, who had hacked into his system again and was aiding him along.

"The plane hasn't left yet, but you have less than ten minutes. The pilots are beginning their departure procedure."

"Damn," he swore; he was barely 12 minutes away from where they were at his top speed. There were no more shortcuts, and he could push his bike only so fast.

He kept going. He had to hope for some delay. He'd get there.

"_Wait for me, Felicity. I won't let you go,"_ he thought. The void began to swallow him too, but he charged on. Nothing could get into his way.

* * *

Barbara heard the anticipated sounds of struggle outside her computer station inside Slade's secret compound. She had divulged the information to Sara via Roy's bluetooth and expected a speedy was not disappointed.

Slade had a lot of goons around her, probably to end her once he had secured Felicity Smoak's reluctant agreement to work for him and betray her trusted friend Oliver. Barbara didn't think Felicity was going to do that. She was smarter than Slade gave her credit for, and she wasn't as heartbroken to turn to Slade and want revenge on Oliver.

Barbara wondered if Slade would ever learn that people were not as messed up and jaded as he was.

Regardless of Felicity's decision, Barbara knew she had outstayed her welcome. It was obvious she was becoming more of a liability to him than his other goons and comrades. He probably suspected that she'd clued Felicity in on his real identity, spooking the girl before she could get deeper in a relationship with him.

Barbara hoped it wasn't too late for her. While the guards were busy outside, she patched into Oliver's comm system and directed him to the airport, hoping he'd have time to get to the plane before it departed to save her.

Barbara knew where Slade was taking Felicity, but she refused to divulge that information until the Canary saved her from the death order over her head.

Hearing the last guard outside her computers go down, Barbara turned in her chair to an old friend, panting and catching her breath in front of her. She looked up at her, smiling as she took in the costume.

"I always enjoyed the wig. Not too sure about the cleavage," Barbara teased."Just like old times when we were back in the League, right? I sort of miss those days."

"Barbara," Sara said, and she could feel the woman's gaze on her chair. "What did he do to you?"

"No time for that now. You have to get me out of here. There are more of Slade's goons coming for us as we speak. He doesn't have just these guys in his home base," Barbara said.

"I can take care of them," Roy said confidently.

"I'm sure you can," Barbara said. "But the blow must be more than just against his men." Barbara turned back to her computers, speaking into her earpiece. "You have five minutes, Oliver!"

Sara watched as Barbara's fingers flew over the keyboard. Screens rapidly popped up and around, as seizure-inducing flashes.

"Okay, we can go," Barbara said.

"What did you do?" Sara asked.

"I gave his computer a virus, targeting anything about Oliver Queen and his associates. I'm trying to blind him and give you guys the advantage. Now, we have to go save Felicity Smoak. I'm afraid if Oliver doesn't get to her in time, she could be lost forever," Barbara said.

Sara charged forward and pressed a hand against Barbara's chest, pushing her chair back against her computers. "You seemed to believe you didn't know where Slade was taking her!"

"Oh I know," Barbara said, returning Sara's rage with a steely glare. "I had to insure you would save me, Canary. Now let's go."

"No!" Roy said, pushing Sara aside and barely controlling his anger as he approached Barbara. "You're telling us now, where he's taking her!" Fists were balled at his sides, and Barbara looked at him bemused.

"You...you have the same juice as he does," she said, and she turned to Sara. "You have to be careful with this kid, Canary. He's dangerous. The things he could do…"

"Don't you worry about Roy," Sara said. "He's right, Barbara. Just tell us where the plane is going."

Barbara pursed her lips, not thrilled that they were pressuring her, especially Roy. "Okay, fine, he told me to book a flight to Hawaii and then call up a contact at another smaller airport to take him wherever he wanted to go. I can only imagine that it's remote, and off the grid."

Sara's face paled, and she tore her gaze from Barbara and looked ahead, almost in space. She gasped. "Not just remote, but almost unreachable." She turned to Roy. "He's taking her to the island, the one where we all met, and the one place where Oliver betrayed Slade, or so he believes."

"Well, wherever that is, he wants Felicity at his mercy so she will make the hardest decision of her life," she said, and Sara turned back to meet the woman's eyes.

"He wants her to betray Oliver and join him, and she probably won't have any other choice, not stuck out on that island."

"No choice, except death," Sara said with worry.

"Death won't be the option by his hands alone," Barbara said. "No, he wants her to choose him, or try to survive on that island."

"Let's go then," Sara said, wasting no time. She went behind Barbara and motioned to Roy. "Lead us out, and cover us for anything that comes in our way. I'll protect us from the back."

And swiftly, on the edge of borrowed time, they hurried out, securing Barbara's escape.

* * *

Slade was ready to close the door on the plane as he barely caught an arrow soaring at him through the air at his other eye.

He grinned.

"SLADE!" Oliver yelled, and he was coming closer as his friend Diggle, the bodyguard, drove him through the airport runway at almost an impossible distance, assuring them they would not catch up. Oliver was shooting long-range arrows at him, standing up in the passenger seat of the convertible they must have commandeered at the last minute.

Many of the arrows had great aim, but Slade was faster at knocking the closer ones from his face. Some of the arrows caught the side of the plane, but none of them posed any threat.

Slade chuckled at Oliver's wasted attempt before shutting the door. The plane was already driving ahead with Oliver and his man behind them barely catching their speed. Oliver was screaming at the plane, he was sure. Yet the plane eventually outran them, speeding up as the pilots began to lift them into the air.

Slade gazed out the window to the open sky as Starling City became smaller below them. He smiled at the sleeping form of Felicity Smoak talking in her sleep, saying Oliver's name and calling out to a hero that failed to save her.

Her hero that he would destroy. And she was going to help him.

To be continued…


	11. Eleven

**Dark Stranger**

Eleven

Like most of her recent dreams, Felicity dreamed of Oliver. Sometimes he wore one of his business suits, light grey with the first button open,and the collar slightly askew where he'd slid off the tie around 9 a.m. that morning. Most of the time Oliver couldn't stand the tie past ten, unless he'd had an important business meeting that day or got too busy to notice. But even then, a tie on Oliver Queen was destined not to survive.

The other times, she dreamed of him as the persona she knew best, the Arrow. With his green hood, his new mask, and his heroic eyes, she watched as he whisked away into the night, saving children and innocents as she stayed with him in the comm system within his ear.

Always by his side. So loyal. So unyielding. No danger could faze her; she had the Arrow by her side - Oliver, the man that took so much residence in her heart she was sure it was unhealthy.

But it was reality, and the other reality was she couldn't have him. She was his unending fangirl, and that made her sort of mad but she knew that wasn't the case. She was always surprised and reassured when Oliver called her his friend. That would be enough for her, even if her heart wanted more. It was something.

She was having a very deep sleep, so deep that when she began to stir, her mind was unusually groggy. Puzzle pieces of her memories before she slept scattered like broken code in her brain.

When she felt her inner ears begin to pop and the sensation of being confined in very stale air space, she stirred more quickly, feeling fear trickle throughout her veins.

"What-?" The headache she had seemed to mock her.

"Ah, Ms. Smoak," said a thick accent voice. She knew that voice. Will Shade...or that was the name he told her.

"What, where are we?"

"Having the honeymoon of our dreams," he said with a dark chuckle, and she rose from where she'd been sleeping and looked over at him. She expected him to wear one of his fancy suits, drink wine and smile wickedly at her. Instead, she turned to a man who was ready for war, geared up with a black stealth outfit full of weapons and armor. Behind him strapped to his back he kept two swords, and beside him a weird looking mask of dual color, one side a fade orange, the other black.

Her blood went cold, and she tried to process the kind of man she was truly dealing with. She took a wild guess and found her voice.

"You're...I take it you know Oliver. Maybe enemy? Let me guess, you met on the island? It's a popular tourist attraction, I hear," she rambled, and when she saw a lip curl in amusement she knew that he was right.

"I wonder how much Oracle was able to tell you under my watch, but it seems like you figured out enough, Ms. Smoak," he said.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, seeing clouds out of the window. Of course she was on a plane, and it terrified her that she could be anywhere, that she probably wouldn't come out of this alive because she didn't tell Oliver what she was up to. She only hoped Sara could whip out some of her tricks and find her. At least she warned Sara, and she did see Roy… He could identify this man.

"I think you should enjoy the surprise," he said, finally answering her question.

"What's your real name?" she asked, trying to be brave but feeling fear overtake her insides. She could feel her whole body shaking from the danger, knowing she couldn't do anything at this point but bend to his will. If only she could use her phone, though she could see it plain as day he kept it with him at his side, next to the creepy mask.

Thankfully, he'd set her purse next to her. He'd probably already dug through it, and she was hoping he didn't find the tracking beacon she stashed there. Of course, it was in her small makeup bag, so unless he wanted to go in there for a tampon, she figured she'd be safe.

"My name is Slade Wilson, and if you must know, Oliver and I are old friends," he said, and he began staring at her as if he'd already won the game, and talking to her was just an extra high for him. She hoped he didn't underestimate her either. Or Team Arrow.

"So why me? What do you want with me? You know he's with Sara, right? She's his old love that he's renewed. It makes more sense that you go after her," Felicity said.

Slade's amusement flickered a bit. His eyes seemed to go darker, and he pursed his lips at the mention of that name. "I could care less about that woman. And you are mistaken if they are in love. I've seen true love, dear girl, and that isn't it."

"Then what is it?" Felicity asked, though it wasn't as if she took Slade's word over Oliver's, but he'd hope he'd keep talking and maybe let it slip where he was taking her. Maybe she could get a moment out of his sight, tap into the comm system of the plane and send out a signal, maybe… well, she had to have some way out of this, and so far she'd seen none yet.

Felicity was curious nonetheless.

"Obligation, Ms. Smoak. Penance and guilt. If Oliver doesn't choose Sara, then Shado dies for nothing. If Oliver doesn't choose Sara, then how fickle is his heart? How cold, to move from one woman to the next?" Slade said, and Felicity could detect a lot of venom in his words. Slade had been wronged by Oliver in some way, and that only meant one thing could have come between them to generate this much hate from a man who had been so secretive to finally open up to her, Felicity Smoak, of all people.

"Shado," she said, and she watched the way his expression reacted to the name. "You loved her."

_Oh, dear,_ Felicity thought. This massive kick-ass, unstable mercenary loved a woman that Oliver was involved with, and if she remembered Oliver's story correctly, Shado was dead. There was no mystery of her being alive, not like with Sara, as the case had been. Shado was definitely gone.

"You are a clever girl, Ms. Smoak. Not just a computer expert," he said, though his tone was cold and devoid of any amusement or life.

"Well, I'm observational," she said. "I should have known you weren't right from the start," she said accusingly.

"And honest mistake. One does not think on a broken heart," he said.

Felicity shook her head. "Oh, my heart isn't broken. Maybe naive, but not broken."

"Either way, here you are," he said with satisfaction.

"And where is here?" she asked, and sure enough, the plane was beginning to descend.

"Why Hawaii of course, but don't get too attached, Ms. Smoak. We aren't going to stay," he said.

Felicity swallowed an uncomfortable lump. Well, at least she knew where Hawaii was, but as for the final destination of this journey she didn't have a clue. But she did have a sneaking suspicion given the history of those who'd come from Oliver's past.

She begged any god that would listen to not let Slade take her to that island.

* * *

Oliver and Diggle grabbed the first flight to Hawaii after Sara touched base with them about Slade's plans. Knowing they were headed to the island, Oliver felt a sense of urgency to get to Felicity before Slade dumped her on that island to fend for herself. And that wasn't even the worst thing he imagined Slade doing to her.

He threw a ton of money at an private plane that would take them to Hawaii. Sara borrowed Felicity's comm system and stayed in contact with them hoping to direct them to the independent airport where Slade was going to reconnect with before heading to the island itself.

The plane could only go so fast, but Oliver was confident that Slade wouldn't even suspect he'd know they were headed to the island. If he was that clever, Oliver didn't have a clue where else he'd take Felicity. That scenario scared him the most because Slade was always five steps ahead of Oliver in every game.

Either way, Oliver wasn't going to let him win this game. With his fears aside at Slade's treachery, he was determined to save Felicity at any cost.

* * *

Slade had motioned her out of the plane, and Felicity felt like she was walking the plank. After they disengaged from the small private plane, she was greeted by the sticky, humid air of the island. She'd been here once before, to retrieve Oliver after he'd retreated here after Tommy's death.

She knew it was full of booby traps, skeletons, and other scary stuff, and she knew very well that she'd never truly survive that long in a place like this.

Felicity stepped on the sandy beach and looked around. Something was different.

"Where am I?" she asked. This most certainly wasn't the island she'd been too before.

"Well, you're not where you think you are," he said cryptically, with wicked amusement returning to his voice.

She stiffened, looking around as she clutched her purse and jacket next to her body. She prayed he didn't take her belongings when he left her here. Especially not her purse.

"So now that we're here, Ms. Smoak, I think we can finally do business," he said, and she turned around to glare at him.

"Business?" she asked incredulously. She doubted after the charade he'd just pulled, he just wanted to get her out here for business.

"Yes, this is where I give you two choices. One: join me against Oliver Queen and become my new computer expert, or anything else I'd require from you…" He paused and looked her over, and she suddenly felt dirty. He'd seen her naked already. She'd slept with him, and she'd felt him inside her. Now it made her want to gag, knowing she'd been taken by this guy only to have him deceive her. "Two: if you do not want to betray your lovely employer, I will give you the option of relocation."

"Here?" Her voice cracked.

"Out of the way and probably facing your demise here by one of the landmines or poisonous snakes. That will be up to you and your God, Ms. Smoak."

"You want me to betray Oliver or live here on a deserted island?"

"Oh, it's not deserted. There's a Chinese outpost on the other side of the island. Once they find you, a beautiful woman wandering around their territory, they will throw you in prison, torture you for information and probably do other unspeakable acts to you that I dare not say aloud," he said.

Felicity felt her blood curdling in fear to all of this, but more than anything her temper was boiling under the surface. How could she be so stupid to even get involved with this man? Not when Oliver was being targeted all the time, how could she not think she'd be targeted too?

"I don't understand why you're going through all this trouble for me! I just help Oliver with his computer. I'm just a friend, nothing more, and yet you schemed this entire thing to what? Throw me on an island!" she yelled at him, pointing her finger.

"Don't be so naive, girl. You are more important to Oliver than you truly know. More important than Sara. More important than the other Lance girl he was always mooning about. You have something those girls never will have."

"And what is that?"

"His true heart. He may not know it yet, but you do. He's pushed you aside this long for a reason. I know him. I've known how he is with women. He has never treated a woman with such fear, such delicacy as he has you," Slade said.

Felicity could barely swallow the lump forming in her throat. She couldn't believe it. Slade thought that Oliver loved her enough that he had to dump her on this island. Slade believed that he could even get her to betray Oliver?

"You must think I'm really stupid," she said defiantly, and she tried everything not to make her words shake, like her knees were shaking. She saw him raise an eyebrow over his good eye. "I would never betray Oliver. It doesn't matter how many times he rejects me, I will never betray him. Not for anyone. Especially not you."

"I never thought you were stupid," Slade countered. "So that's your answer then?"

Felicity nodded once, clutching her coat over her purse, still hoping and praying he would not take it from her once he left.

"Well, I'm not totally undignified. I will leave you here, with your belongings, so when those Chinese men find you they will search you, find out you're American, and maybe give you amnesty. Probably not though," he said.

Felicity felt real fear, and she tried to show it, hoping she'd soon have a chance to use that tracker before anyone that Slade was describing on this island found her.

"It is a pity," he said finally. "I would have relished the idea of you betraying Oliver."

She looked at him defiantly again. "Not a chance in hell."

He chucked at her as he returned to the plane. He signaled the pilot and then turned back to stare at her with that malicious grin. He waved to her before the plane ascended. Felicity felt dread as the plane departed into the clouds, but she was also relieved.

Now she hoped that tracker was still in her purse (since she hadn't had a chance to look in Slade's presence) and that it would actually work.

* * *

When Diggle and Oliver arrived on the island known as Lian Yu, they split up looking for any sign of Felicity. They paid the pilot of the small charter plane to circle around the island and look for her as well, but after three hours of searching they reconvened without any luck.

It was clear to Oliver that Slade had taken Felicity somewhere else, fulfilling his worst fear. Now he didn't know where she could be, and it tore him up inside that he could fail Felicity too.

"Didn't you tell me where was more little islands around here?" Diggle asked.+

Oliver furrowed his brow. "When Sara and I were captive on Ivo's ship, we'd seen some small ones, some barely livable, but some were big enough for at least an outpost."

"Is it possible Slade knows about those islands?"

Oliver pursed his lips. "It's possible Slade knows a lot more than I could ever know about these waters."

"Then, we keep looking," Diggle said, clapping a hand on Oliver's shoulder for comfort. "I hate to say this," he continued, gazing around the island again, "but I don't believe Felicity is here."

To be continued…


	12. Twelve

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them all.

* * *

**Dark Stranger**

Twelve

Felicity Smoak was determined to survive, even on this scary island without a wireless connection and the possibility of Chinese mercenaries lurking in the thick, foreboding forest. She watched as Slade's plane disappeared into the storm clouds and felt fear instantly surge within her.

Storm clouds didn't look good, and if it rained, she'd have to find cover in the forest somewhere. The idea of going in that forest at all filled her with dread.

Not that she wanted to hang out on this beach either, in the open, exposed to others on the island that could easily spot out a strange blonde woman not entirely dressed for beach wear. Or military work.

She had one last hope at least. She scrambled and opened her purse, digging through the inner pocket where her makeup and tampons were stored. In the bottom, she dug around for one specific shape. The tracker had to be in there, and if Slade had found and removed it, she was screwed.

The first shape was lipstick, the next a compact; there was the tampon, and then another. Her fingers grazed over another shape.

Relief filled her tight chest, and she exhaled a heavy breath.

She pulled it out, inspected it and felt further relieved it wasn't damaged or disabled. She smirked to herself, filled with pride.

"Not so smart are you, Slade Wilson?" she said, and she twisted the casing on the tracker, activating it.

Now, she only had to wait. She hoped that Oliver found her in time before the rains came. Or before she encountered her Chinese military welcoming party.

* * *

Barbara Gordon, otherwise known as Oracle from her League of Assassins days, was whistling in admiration at Felicity Smoak's tech in the lair underneath Verdant.

"Not bad," she said, and her fingers were already dancing over the keyboards, clicking through various programs and screens.

"Enough admiration," Sara chided her. "Any luck on picking up Felicity's cell phone signal?"

"It went dark about an hour ago," Barbara said, looking up at Sara. "Right around Hawaii, which means Slade guessed we would track her and he's toying with us. Where he took her is the real mystery."

"Would he take her to Lian Yu though? Seems predictable, even for Slade," Sara said, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow.

"It is, and I'm surprised if he'd leave her anywhere out there. The Slade I know would even bring her back, hide her and make her work for him under duress," Barbara said sadly. "Like he did to me."

Sara shook her head. "He wouldn't bring her back, and you don't know Felicity. She would never agree to that."

Barbara raised an eyebrow. "Hrmm. Felicity cares that much about Oliver."

Sara pursed her lips. "Yes, completely. There's no question. There's true loyalty in her. She would never betray Oliver." And she met Barbara's intense gaze. "Or any of us."

"Then she's stuck out there, somewhere. On one of those islands in that area where Oliver was, she's trapped there."

"We have to figure out where," Sara said, slamming her hands on the counter, making some of the screens rattle.

"Hey! Calm down. We'll get her," Barbara reassured. Before Sara could speak, they both heard a loud beep echo throughout the room. A red pop-up appeared on one of the screens. Barbara and Sara both turned in attention to the alert.

"What is that?" Sara asked, and Barbara slid her fingers through a few commands on the keys and gasped.

"A beacon," Barbara said. "It's coming from a tracking device."

"Ollie has tracking arrows that do that. Well, there is a capsule on the end that does that when hitting a hard surface. It twists and locks on impact and sets off the alarm," Sara said.

"It seems to be the same kind of device," Barbara said, and her face brightened with a grin. "Well, hello there, Felicity Smoak. Good work, kid."

"It's her?" Sara said. "Where is she?"

"Somewhere near that Lian Yu, not far off. Let me get the longitude and latitude coordinates," she said, working away. Sara was already on her phone.

"Yeah, Ollie," she said, her voice filled with joy. "We found her."

When she heard his response, she'd never heard Oliver express such relief before, and he hung up the phone quickly to continue the rescue.

It was inopportune for her to analyze Oliver's feelings, but Sara knew that Oliver was focused solely on Felicity and her safety right now. She admitted she wanted her favorite cute and awkward IT girl to be safe too. But rescuing Felicity meant a variety of things. They weren't just going to save Felicity's life. When Ollie reached her, something would change.

Something was already changing...between her and Oliver. She'd noticed it in the beginning. It confused her, but she knew that deep down Ollie wasn't trying to be untrue to her. He loved her - or maybe he had loved her at one time. Reuniting with him had been easy; it'd been obligation, that much was true, with the ghosts of their pasts coming to a head.

But Felicity had no past with Oliver, and she cared about him despite his past and what he'd done on the island. She was new and fresh, and she had an open heart that even Sara appreciated. As for Oliver, it was likely he felt he didn't deserve her, and he feared that with his lifestyle, Felicity was safer without him.

Whatever it was, Sara sensed Oliver regarded Felicity a lot differently than he'd ever regarded her, or even her sister Laurel. Truthfully, he was a lot happier when Felicity was around, and the improved mood never seemed to stir up when he was with Sara. With her, Ollie seemed to live in the drudgery of their pasts, the darkness and the regrets, and though Sara was trying to make a new life for her, and maybe for them, the doomed fate that brought them together would always be there. With Felicity, Oliver had no past. He had only who he was becoming now, and she accepted him.

Even if it wasn't obvious to Oliver on how he felt about Felicity, it was obvious to Sara, and to everyone else it seemed.

Whatever was between Oliver and Felicity, Sara knew she had no place there. As disheartening as it was to continue this thing she had with Oliver, she didn't know if she could now. He wouldn't end it with her directly; God knew he tried already, but he'd come back, feeling obligated and protective - loyal even, but none of those things added up to real love.

She'd felt real love once, Sara admitted to herself, and the shadow of that love was still looming in the back of her mind, with Nyssa.

Like Oliver's ghost of Shado, Sara had her own in Nyssa. The only difference was that Nyssa was still alive. Reconciling with the woman was probably impossible, but Sara wondered if there may be some hope.

It all depended on how much Nyssa really loved Sara. She loved her enough to set her free, but did Sara love Nyssa enough to return to her? To try to change her former lover's mind?

Sara didn't know what to do, but she knew whenever she thought of Nyssa, her heart swelled with regret and with longing. It was a feeling she couldn't shake, not even with this distance between them, and not even after Nyssa had set her free.

That kiss they shared when she'd come for her still lingered in her mouth, and Sara missed it. Even after Nyssa threatened her family, Sara missed her. They had history, sure, and maybe she was insane for still desiring the woman after all the chaos she had brought, but Sara couldn't shake how she felt, no matter how irrational it was.

She did know this. She remembered the fire she used to feel when she was in Nyssa's arms. It was missing with Oliver; that much Sara knew was true.

* * *

Felicity stared into the fire she had started with some driftwood on the beach. She enjoyed the warmth as darkness fell, and thankfully, the looming storm clouds she'd spotted this afternoon had dispersed leaving her with a starry night sky.

The threat of the other island residents still prevailed, and she looked over her shoulder quite often to see if they would come charging out at her. Mostly, she felt anxious and paranoid, and when she wasn't looking to the forest, Felicity was looking to the skies hoping to see any sign of a plane.

Her nerves were stretched like rubber bands, and she wondered how long she'd been this stressed and anxious. She'd been so exhausted in her worrying that she started to doze off, even after being drugged so often by Slade. She wondered if the drugs were truly out of her system.

She thought she might be dreaming when she heard the buzz of a plane in the sky. Looking up through blurry eyes ripe with tears, she sniffled and shook sleep from her brain as the plane drew closer. Its lights were a bright red welcome compared to the plain white stars in the inky skies.

"Oliver," she whispered, and the plane began to descend. She felt the air stir up around her, and she almost collapsed the moment she heard his voice.

"Felicity!" he screamed, and it was music to her ears. She blinked and he was running toward her, arms outstretched to catch her as she started to fall.

If it was a dream, it had come true, because in her dreams, Oliver had always saved her.

* * *

When Diggle and Oliver touched down to the island, Felicity was clutching her small dress jacket around her shivering shoulders. Walking on wobbly knees, Felicity came up to them with a relieved smile and tears in her eyes.

Oliver and Diggle ran to her, catching her as she fell into Oliver's arms. Diggle patted and rubbed her back, and Oliver pulled her against him as she rested her head against his chest.

She was sobbing softly, and Oliver could hear her murmuring, "Thank you," against his clothes. Pulling her against him, he lifted her into his arms securely as they entered the small plane. She cuddled against Oliver as Diggle took the controls. Oliver stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, feeling relief surge within his bones.

She fell asleep soundly against him just before the plane lifted off, and Oliver noticed that his nerves felt raw and his heart ached.

Slade had targeted Felicity and put her life on the line. It was because of him Felicity was in danger at all.

_It was too late to push her away now, _he thought, and he cursed himself for even thinking of it. He was stupid. Felicity was already important to him, wedged so deeply in his heart he couldn't bear a second without her, so if she was dead because of him, because everyone knew how much he cared about her, he might as well be killing her himself the more he pushed her away, unguarded and vulnerable.

Well, it would never happen again. No matter how many of his enemies sought her to use against him, they would always fail. Because Oliver wouldn't fail Felicity.

He wouldn't just protect her anymore, he would keep her as close to him as he possibly could. It didn't matter if he had reservations about their feelings for each other at this point.

Only one thing was clear: Felicity was his girl,_ his_, and no one would ever threaten her again.

To Be Continued...


End file.
